Abstract
Published evidence has suggested that engaging in school or cyber bullying may potentially be associated with a suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. The aim of our review/meta-analysis was to evaluate the potential association between school and cyber bullying and suicidality (including suicidal ideation, planning and/or committing a suicide attempt) in children and adolescents (< 19 years old) who are considered as a “healthy” population, without predispositions for suicidality factors (not subpopulations with characteristics that may constitute proneness to bullying and its consequences, including sexual minorities, drug users and youth with psychiatric comorbidity). Regarding school bullying, victims and bullies independently, and victims and bullies together, were significantly more likely to present suicidal ideation and commit a suicide attempt, compared to non-involved participants. Victims of school bullying were found to be significantly more likely to commit a suicide attempt that required medical treatment. Victims of cyber bullying were significantly more likely to present suicidal ideation and commit a suicide attempt. A positive relationship between involvement in both school bullying and cyber-bullying with suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior was observed. This review/meta-analysis contributes to further understanding bullying and suicidality as it includes results of participants without any predisposing factors for suicidality, thus providing more clear results with regard to the magnitude of the effects of both school and cyber bullying on suicidality.
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GNK conceived study, participated in its design and coordination, collection and interpretation of the data; he also performed the data collection and extraction, as well as the statistical analyses, and helped to draft the manuscript; EKV contributed to the data collection and also participated in drafting the manuscript; GK participated in the manuscript’s design and coordination and also performed the statistical analyses; EK participated in the manuscript’s design and coordination; EE participated in the manuscript’s design and coordination; CB participated in the manuscript’s design and coordination. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
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Katsaras, G.N., Vouloumanou, E.K., Kourlaba, G. et al. Bullying and Suicidality in Children and Adolescents Without Predisposing Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Adolescent Res Rev 3, 193–217 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-018-0081-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-018-0081-8