The Relationship Between Depression and

Aggressive Characteristics of Bullying in the

JHS Department of STIP: Basis for
Intervention

A thesis represented to the faculty

of Southern Technological Institute of the
Philippines, Inc.

In partial fulfillment of requirements in

Research 1

By:
Lariba, Riezl Ann Z.

Bachelor of Science in Criminology

 Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Bullying stands as one of the most frequent forms of violence in society and carries a

vital role in the culture of violence. Bullying can come in the forms of physical, verbal, and

psychological perpetration, and is empirically recognized as a subset of aggressive behavior that

is generally defined as behaviors with elements of intentionality, repetitiveness, and an

imbalance of power intended to give discomfort or injury to another person (Olweus, 2013).

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (2019) one out of every five (20%)

high school students report being bullied. Male students were more likely than female students to

report being physically bullied, whereas female students were more likely than male students to

report being victims of relational bullying (e.g., being excluded from activities on purpose, being

the subjects of rumors). Among the students who have reported being victims of bullying, 13%

were called names, made fun of, or insulted; 13% encountered rumors about themselves, 5%

experienced physical bullying (e.g., tripped, shoved, pushed, or spit on), and 5% experienced

social exclusion on purpose. A meta-analysis of 80 studies evaluating bullying involvement rates

(perpetration and victimization) for 12-18-year-old students, reported a mean prevalence rate of
35% for traditional bullying involvement and 15% for cyberbullying involvement (Modecki et

al., 2014).

Additionally, one in five students ages 9-12 years old (21%) reported experiencing

cyberbullying or have cyberbullied others and 13% of students reported experiencing bullying

online and at school (Patchin & Hinduja, 2020). Events in the US such as school shootings and

bullycide, which is the behavior of intentionally killing oneself due to bullying, have garnered

great interest in the field of bullying research in order to understand the factors that are

associated with students' experiences in bullying perpetration and victimization in school

(Espelage & Swearer, 2004). According to the Centers for Disease Control (2019), students who

are victims of bullying are at increased risk for depression, sleep difficulties, anxiety, lower

academic achievement, and dropping out of school.

Additional studies revealed that victimized students are at risk for suicidal ideation due to

the heightened stress and risk of mental health issues that may be caused by the development of

an increased emotional arousal (Shireen et al 2014). A meta-analysis discovered that students

who have experienced victimization are 2.2 times more likely to have suicidal ideation and 2.6

times more likely to attempt suicide than students who have not experienced peer victimization

(Gini & Espelage, 2014). Victimized students have reported that bullying has a negative impact

on their self-esteem (27%), their relationships with friends and family (19%), their academic

work (19%), and physical health (14%) (National Center for Educational Statistics 2019). Older

research reveals, when looking at the short-term effects of bullying, 10% of victimized students

have dropped out of school due to frequent bullying (Weinhold & Weinhold, 1998), 20% of
students report refraining from using the restrooms to avoid the chances of being bullied (NIDR,

1999), and approximately two million students have reported carrying clubs, razors, knives and

guns for self-protection (NIDR, 1999).

Furthermore, bullying statistics demonstrate that revenge is the highest motivation for

school shootings with bullying and harassment being connected to 75% of school-shooting

occurrences (Shireen et al., 2014). From older research, 60% of male students who have engaged

in bullying behaviors possessed at least one crime conviction by age 23 and 35% to 40% carried

three or more convictions (Olweus, 1994). Olweus (1994) further found that students with a

history of bullying behaviors are three times more likely to be convicted of crime by age 30 and

are less likely than non-bullies to finish college or obtain a good job. Although this has not been

further studied, students who engage in bullying behaviors often lack power in their own lives

and compensate by dominating others. Researchers found a strong correlation between bullying

and suicidal behaviors, although relationship is often mediated by other components such as

substance abuse, violent, behaviors, and depression (Reed et al., 2015).

Depression has been noted as one of the most persistent and common mental health

disorders among children and adolescents with 13.8% of individuals within the ages 12-17 years

old report experiencing at least one major depressive episode in the last year (World Health

Organization, 2016; Mental Health America, 2021). According to the data from National Survey

and Drug Use and Health (2017), 13% of teens within the ages of 12-17 years old had reported

suffering from at least one major depressive episode, which had increased up from 8% in 2007.

The total number of students who experienced symptoms of depression increased 59% between
2007 and 2017, with the rate of growth faster for females (66%) than for males (44%) (Pew

Research Center, 2019). Symptoms of depression that is presented in youth include feelings of

low mood, low self-esteem, worthlessness, loss of pleasure in previously enjoyed activities, sleep

difficulties (e.g., difficulty falling asleep, trouble sleeping throughout the night, sleeping more

than usual), appetite changes (e.g., decreased food intake or overeating), noticeable change in

loss or gain of weight, withdrawal or isolation, academic difficulties (e.g., school refusal, poor

academic performance), physiological complaints (e.g., digestive complaints, loss of appetite,

headaches, other pains and aches) and suicidal ideation or attempt. Other symptoms that may

suggest depression, and that is mostly seen in youth than in adults, are irritability and

externalizing behaviors that range from disruptiveness to oppositional defiance.

Therefore, it is interesting to note how depression can be associated with aggressive

characteristics of bullying behaviors. Theoretical Model Various theoretical models have been

presented to understand the development of aggressive behaviors in childhood. However, the

social-ecological diathesis-stress model of bullying will be of focus to understand the interplay

of multiple elements that contribute to the development of bullying behaviors. The social-

ecological diathesis-stress model of bullying indicates that the individual's cognitions, biological

factors, and negative life events lead to the development of externalizing psychopathology. For

example, maltreatment at home contributes to the formulation of a negative self-perception

(cognition) that then leads to engaging in bullying behaviors when the negative cognition is

activated. Although experiences of depression are not explicitly stated within this model, it is a

component that can be associated with the negative cognition. For example, a student may bully

another peer after having a threat schema, which can activate negative self-other beliefs. This
allows the student to become aggressive in peer relationships in order to maintain control or

power.

Problem Statement Bullying continues to carry significant public health issues and

inflicts serious adverse effects on children and adolescents (Kim et al., 2009). Bullying research

continues to grow as public concern about bullying increases (Lee et al., 2013). As a result, there

has been increasing number of research analyzing the causes and consequences of effective

interventions of bullying (Nansel et al., 2001), the social and psychological challenges of

victimized students (Farrington et al., 2011; Luk et al., 2010), bullying perpetration as a predictor

of later criminal offending (Olweus 1994) and the correlation between bullying perpetration and

poor mental health outcomes in adulthood (Arseneault et al., 2010).

However, only a limited amount of research is focused on evaluating the mechanisms of

students who are at an increased risk for bullying perpetration, specifically, examining if

depression is contributory to the development of bullying behaviors. Studies that have analyzed

the correlation between childhood experiences and bullying perpetration have been limited due

to operational and definitional challenges and carries the lack of assessment for the competing

explanations of bullying perpetration (Connell et al., 2016). Researchers have frequently

centered their work on identifying students who engage in bullying perpetration (Moon et al.,

2011), but continues to provide very little about the development of bully perpetration. While the

relationship between bullying perpetration and future negative life outcomes is important to

recognize, the empirical quest to understand the onset of bullying perpetration is critical. As

research continues to reinforce the belief that victimized students are at increased risk of mental
health consequences, continuous research on the development of bullying perpetration,

understanding the association between depression and bullying behaviors being one of them, is

needed to develop an optimal evidence-based prevention/intervention that caters to the bullying

phenomenon as a whole.

There is much research conducted in depression and aggressive characteristics of

bullying, in the areas of management, educational field and medicine areas and also within the

school premises. This study will help professionals to manage bullying and to determine what

coping mechanisms can overcome it. Along with these ideas, the researcher would like to

conduct a study to help the police officers and other professionals that have researched this type

and for future researchers that focus on occupational stress and coping mechanism in the local

setting. This study was proposed to address the research gap.

Research Objective

The purpose of this study was to determine which domain of occupational stress that best

influences the coping mechanism of police officers. Specifically, this study sought answers to the

following objectives:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of?

1.1 gender

1.2 age

1.3 Grade level

2. What are the reasons of being bullied in terms of?

2.1 looks

2.2 cognitive capacity

2.3 disabilities

2.4 economic status

3. To determine the significant relationship between depression and aggressive

characteristics of bullying.