Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Victims and bully-victims but not bullies are groups associated with anxiety symptomatology among Brazilian children and adolescents

  • Original Contribution
  • Published:
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

School bullying is frequent and is associated with a broad spectrum of psychiatric problems. The aims of this study were to examine the prevalence of bullying behaviors in a large sample of Brazilian children and adolescents and to investigate the association between bullying behaviors and DSM-IV anxiety symptomatology. This cross-sectional study involved completion of a questionnaire about bullying behaviors and their frequency and the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) that is a self-report screening tool for childhood anxiety disorders by 2,355 students. A total of 22.9 % of the sample reported frequent involvement in bullying, as a bully (7.6 %), as a victim (5.7 %), or as a bully-victim (9.6 %). In general, our findings showed that students involved in bullying behaviors, as victims or bully-victims, were more likely to have higher scores in SCARED total and its subscales than bullies and than uninvolved students. The prevalence of bullying behaviors among Brazilian youth is about average when compared with previous samples described in the literature. Victims and bully-victims, but no bullies, are groups associated with higher anxiety symptomatology.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Alikasifoglu M, Erginoz E, Ercan O, Uysal O, Albayrak-Kaymak D (2007) Bullying behaviours and psychosocial health: results from a cross-sectional survey among high school students in Istanbul, Turkey. Eur J Pediatr 166(12):1253–1260. doi:10.1007/s00431-006-0411-x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. American Psychiatric Association (1994) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. American Psychiatric Association, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  3. Arseneault L, Bowes L, Shakoor S (2010) Bullying victimization in youths and mental health problems: ‘much ado about nothing’? Psychol Med 40(5):717–729. doi:10.1017/S0033291709991383

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Baldry AC (1998) Bullying among Italian middle school students. Sch Psychol Int 19:361–374

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Birmaher B, Brent DA, Chiappetta L, Bridge J, Monga S, Baugher M (1999) Psychometric properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): a replication study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 38(10):1230–1236. doi:10.1097/00004583-199910000-00011

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Birmaher B, Khetarpal S, Brent D, Cully M, Balach L, Kaufman J, Neer SM (1997) The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): scale construction and psychometric characteristics. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 36(4):545–553. doi:10.1097/00004583-199704000-00018

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Blote AW, Westenberg PM (2007) Socially anxious adolescents’ perception of treatment by classmates. Behav Res Ther 45(2):189–198. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2006.02.002

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Bond L, Carlin JB, Thomas L, Rubin K, Patton G (2001) Does bullying cause emotional problems? A prospective study of young teenagers. BMJ 323(7311):480–484

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Brunstein Klomek A, Marrocco F, Kleinman M, Schonfeld IS, Gould MS (2007) Bullying, depression, and suicidality in adolescents. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 46(1):40–49. doi:10.1097/01.chi.0000242237.84925.18

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Costello EJ, Egger HL, Angold A (2005) The developmental epidemiology of anxiety disorders: phenomenology, prevalence, and comorbidity. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 14(4):631–648. doi:10.1016/j.chc.2005.06.003

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Craig W (1998) The relationship among bullying, victimization, depression, anxiety, and aggression in elementary school children. Pers Individ Dif 24:123–130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Craig W, Harel-Fisch Y, Fogel-Grinvald H, Dostaler S, Hetland J, Simons-Morton B, Molcho M, de Mato MG, Overpeck M, Due P, Pickett W (2009) A cross-national profile of bullying and victimization among adolescents in 40 countries. Int J Public Health 54(Suppl 2):216–224. doi:10.1007/s00038-009-5413-9

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Crick NR, Casas JF, Ku HC (1999) Relational and physical forms of peer victimization in preschool. Dev Psychol 35(2):376–385

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Degnan KA, Almas AN, Fox NA (2010) Temperament and the environment in the etiology of childhood anxiety. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 51(4):497–517. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02228.x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Duncan RD (1999) Peer and sibling aggression: an investigation of intra-and extra-familial bullying. J Interpers Violence 14:871–886

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Espelage DL, Holt MK, Henkel RR (2003) Examination of peer-group contextual effects on aggression during early adolescence. Child Dev 74(1):205–220

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Fekkes M, Pijpers FI, Fredriks AM, Vogels T, Verloove-Vanhorick SP (2006) Do bullied children get ill, or do ill children get bullied? A prospective cohort study on the relationship between bullying and health-related symptoms. Pediatrics 117(5):1568–1574. doi:10.1542/peds.2005-0187

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Fekkes M, Pijpers FI, Verloove-Vanhorick SP (2004) Bullying behavior and associations with psychosomatic complaints and depression in victims. J Pediatr 144(1):17–22. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2003.09.025

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Fleming LC, Jacobsen KH (2010) Bullying among middle-school students in low and middle income countries. Health Promot Int 25(1):73–84. doi:dap04610.1093/heapro/dap046

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Forero R, McLellan L, Rissel C, Bauman A (1999) Bullying behaviour and psychosocial health among school students in New South Wales, Australia: cross sectional survey. BMJ 319(7206):344–348

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Gini G, Pozzoli T (2009) Association between bullying and psychosomatic problems: a meta-analysis. Pediatrics 123(3):1059–1065. doi:123/3/105910.1542/peds.2008-1215

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Glew GM, Fan MY, Katon W, Rivara FP, Kernic MA (2005) Bullying, psychosocial adjustment, and academic performance in elementary school. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 159(11):1026–1031. doi:159/11/102610.1001/archpedi.159.11.1026

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Griffin RS, Gross AM (2004) Childhood bullying: current empirical findings and future directions for research. Aggress Violent Behav 9:379–400

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Grills AE, Ollendick TH (2002) Peer victimization, global self-worth, and anxiety in middle school children. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol 31(1):59–68. doi:10.1207/S15374424JCCP3101_08

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Hale WW 3rd, Crocetti E, Raaijmakers QA, Meeus WH (2011) A meta-analysis of the cross-cultural psychometric properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). J Child Psychol Psychiatry 52(1):80–90. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02285.xJCPP2285

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Hawker DS, Boulton MJ (2000) Twenty years’ research on peer victimization and psychosocial maladjustment: a meta-analytic review of cross-sectional studies. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 41(4):441–455

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Isolan L, Salum GA, Osowski AT, Amaro E, Manfro GG (2011) Psychometric properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) in Brazilian children and adolescents. J Anxiety Disord 25(5):741–748. doi:S0887-6185(11)00055-710.1016/j.janxdis.2011.03.015

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Juvonen J, Graham S, Schuster MA (2003) Bullying among young adolescents: the strong, the weak, and the troubled. Pediatrics 112(6 Pt 1):1231–1237

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Kaltiala-Heino R, Rimpela M, Marttunen M, Rimpela A, Rantanen P (1999) Bullying, depression, and suicidal ideation in Finnish adolescents: school survey. BMJ 319(7206):348–351

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Kaltiala-Heino R, Rimpela M, Rantanen P, Rimpela A (2000) Bullying at school–an indicator of adolescents at risk for mental disorders. J Adolesc 23(6):661–674. doi:10.1006/jado.2000.0351S0140-1971(00)90351-8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Kim YS, Koh YJ, Leventhal BL (2004) Prevalence of school bullying in Korean middle school students. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 158(8):737–741. doi:10.1001/archpedi.158.8.737158/8/737

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Kim YS, Leventhal B (2008) Bullying and suicide. A review. Int J Adolesc Med Health 20(2):133–154

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Kumpulainen K, Rasanen E, Henttonen I, Almqvist F, Kresanov K, Linna SL, Moilanen I, Piha J, Puura K, Tamminen T (1998) Bullying and psychiatric symptoms among elementary school-age children. Child Abuse Negl 22(7):705–717. doi:S0145213498000490

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Kumpulainen K, Räsänen E, Puura K (2001) Psychiatric disorders and the use of mental health services among children involved in bullying. Aggress Behav 27:102–110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Luukkonen AH, Rasanen P, Hakko H, Riala K (2010) Bullying behavior in relation to psychiatric disorders and physical health among adolescents: a clinical cohort of 508 underage inpatient adolescents in Northern Finland. Psychiatry Res 178(1):166–170. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2010.04.022

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Malta DC, Silva MA, Mello FC, Monteiro RA, Sardinha LM, Crespo C, Carvalho MG, Silva MM, Porto DL (2010) Bullying in Brazilian schools: results from the National School-based Health Survey (PeNSE), 2009. Cien Saude Colet 15(Suppl 2):3065–3076 (pii:S1413-81232010000800011)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Menesini E, Modena M, Tani F (2009) Bullying and victimization in adolescence: concurrent and stable roles and psychological health symptoms. J Genet Psychol 170(2):115–133. doi:10.3200/GNTP.170.2.115-134

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Messer SC, Beidel DC (1994) Psychosocial correlates of childhood anxiety disorders. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 33(7):975–983. doi:10.1097/00004583-199409000-00007

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Nansel TR, Craig W, Overpeck MD, Saluja G, Ruan WJ (2004) Cross-national consistency in the relationship between bullying behaviors and psychosocial adjustment. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 158(8):730–736. doi:10.1001/archpedi.158.8.730

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Nansel TR, Overpeck M, Pilla RS, Ruan WJ, Simons-Morton B, Scheidt P (2001) Bullying behaviors among US youth: prevalence and association with psychosocial adjustment. JAMA 285(16):2094–2100 (pii:joc01746)

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Nansel TR, Overpeck MD, Haynie DL, Ruan WJ, Scheidt PC (2003) Relationships between bullying and violence among US youth. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 157(4):348–353. doi:10.1001/archpedi.157.4.348

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Nishida A, Tanii H, Nishimura Y, Kajiki N, Inoue K, Okada M, Sasaki T, Okazaki Y (2008) Associations between psychotic-like experiences and mental health status and other psychopathologies among Japanese early teens. Schizophr Res 99(1–3):125–133. doi:10.1016/j.schres.2007.11.038

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Olweus D (1994) Bullying at school: basic facts and effects of a school based intervention program. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 35(7):1171–1190

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Pellegrini AD, Long J (2002) A longitudinal study of bullying, dominance, and victimization during the transition from primary to secondary school. Br J Dev Psychol 20:259–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Reijntjes A, Kamphuis JH, Prinzie P, Telch MJ (2010) Peer victimization and internalizing problems in children: a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Child Abuse Negl 34(4):244–252. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2009.07.009

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Salmivalli C, Lagerspetz K, Björkqvist K, Österman K, Kaukiainen A (1996) Bullying as a group process: participant roles and their relations to social status within the group. Aggress Behav 22(1):1–15. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1098-2337(1996)22:1<1:AID-AB1>3.0.CO;2-T

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Salmon G, James A, Smith DM (1998) Bullying in schools: self reported anxiety, depression, and self esteem in secondary school children. BMJ 317(7163):924–925

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Salum GA, Isolan LR, Bosa VL, Tocchetto AG, Teche SP, Schuch I, Costa JR, Costa Mde A, Jarros RB, Mansur MA, Knijnik D, Silva EA, Kieling C, Oliveira MH, Medeiros E, Bortoluzzi A, Toazza R, Blaya C, Leistner-Segal S, Salles JF, Silveira PP, Goldani MZ, Heldt E, Manfro GG (2011) The multidimensional evaluation and treatment of anxiety in children and adolescents: rationale, design, methods and preliminary findings. Rev Bras Psiquiatr 33(2):181–195 (pii:S1516-44462011000200015)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Scheithauer H, Hayer T, Petermann F, Jugert G (2006) Physical, verbal, and relational forms of bullying among German students: age trends, gender differences, and correlates. Aggress Behav 32:261–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Schereier A, Wolke D, Thomas K, Horwood J, Hollis C, Gunnel D, Harrison G (2009) Prospective study of peer victimization in childhood and psychotic symptoms in a nonclinical population at age 12 years. Arch Gen Psychiatry 66:527–536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Siegel RS, La Greca AM, Harrison HM (2009) Peer victimization and social anxiety in adolescents: prospective and reciprocal relationships. J Youth Adolesc 38(8):1096–1109. doi:10.1007/s10964-009-9392-1

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Smith BJ, Phongsavan P, Bauman AE, Havea D, Chey T (2007) Comparison of tobacco, alcohol and illegal drug usage among school students in three Pacific Island societies. Drug Alcohol Depend 88(1):9–18. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2006.08.030

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Smith PK, Madsen KC, Moody JC (1999) What causes the age decline in reports of being bullied at school? Towards a developmental analysis of risks of being bullied. Educ Res 41:267–285

    Article  Google Scholar 

  54. Sourander A, Brunstein Klomek A, Kumpulainen K, Puustjarvi A, Elonheimo H, Ristkari T, Tamminen T, Moilanen I, Piha J, Ronning JA (2011) Bullying at age eight and criminality in adulthood: findings from the Finnish Nationwide 1981 Birth Cohort Study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 46(12):1211–1219. doi:10.1007/s00127-010-0292-1

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Sourander A, Jensen P, Ronning JA, Elonheimo H, Niemela S, Helenius H, Kumpulainen K, Piha J, Tamminen T, Moilanen I, Almqvist F (2007) Childhood bullies and victims and their risk of criminality in late adolescence: the Finnish from a boy to a man study. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 161(6):546–552. doi:10.1001/archpedi.161.6.546

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Swearer SM, Song SY, Cary PT, Eagle JW, Mickelson WT (2001) Psychosocial correlates in bullying and victimization: the relationship between depression, anxiety, and bully/victim status. J Aggress Maltreat Trauma 2:95–122

    Google Scholar 

  57. Topper LR, Castellanos-Ryan N, Mackie C, Conrod PJ (2011) Adolescent bullying victimisation and alcohol-related problem behaviour mediated by coping drinking motives over a 12 month period. Addict Behav 36(1–2):6–13. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2010.08.016

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Von Marées N, Petermann F (2010) Bullying in German primary schools: gender differences, age trends and influence of parents’ migration and educational backgrounds. Sch Psychol Int 31:178–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  59. Whitney I, Smith PK (1993) A survey of the nature and extent of bullying in junior/middle and secondary schools. Educ Res 35:3–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  60. Wienke Totura CM, Green AE, Karver MS, Gesten EL (2009) Multiple informants in the assessment of psychological, behavioral, and academic correlates of bullying and victimization in middle school. J Adolesc 32(2):193–211. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2008.04.005

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Yang SJ, Kim JM, Kim SW, Shin IS, Yoon JS (2006) Bullying and victimization behaviors in boys and girls at South Korean primary schools. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 45(1):69–77. doi:10.1097/01.chi.0000186401.05465.2c

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Funding for this study was provided in part by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), and Fundo de Incentivo a Pesquisa e Evento do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (FIPE-HCPA). CNPq, CAPES, and FIPE-HCPA had no further role in study design; in the collection; analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Anxiety Disorders Program for Children and Adolescents, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Ramiro Barcelos, 2350, Room: 2202, Porto Alegre, CEP 90035-003, Brazil

    Luciano Isolan, Giovanni Abrahão Salum, Andrea Tochetto Osowski, Graziela Hartmann Zottis & Gisele Gus Manfro

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Luciano Isolan, Giovanni Abrahão Salum, Andrea Tochetto Osowski, Graziela Hartmann Zottis & Gisele Gus Manfro

  3. National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents (INPD/Brazil), São Paulo, Brazil

    Giovanni Abrahão Salum & Gisele Gus Manfro

Authors
  1. Luciano Isolan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Giovanni Abrahão Salum
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Andrea Tochetto Osowski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Graziela Hartmann Zottis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Gisele Gus Manfro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luciano Isolan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Isolan, L., Salum, G.A., Osowski, A.T. et al. Victims and bully-victims but not bullies are groups associated with anxiety symptomatology among Brazilian children and adolescents. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 22, 641–648 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-013-0412-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-013-0412-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation