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Bullying at School, Cyberbullying, and Loneliness: National Representative Study of Adolescents in Denmark

Author

Listed:
  • Katrine Rich Madsen

    (National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, 1455 Copenhagen, Denmark)

  • Mogens Trab Damsgaard

    (National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, 1455 Copenhagen, Denmark)

  • Kimberly Petersen

    (School of Education, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 3AR, UK)

  • Pamela Qualter

    (Manchester Institute of Education, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 5AN, UK)

  • Bjørn E. Holstein

    (National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, 1455 Copenhagen, Denmark)

Abstract

Aims: The aim was to examine how loneliness was associated with bullying victimization at school and online. Methods: We used data from the Danish arm of the international Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) study from 2022. The study population was a nationally representative sample of 11–15-year-olds who completed the internationally standardized HBSC questionnaire at school, n = 5382. Multilevel logistic regression was applied to study the associations between bullying victimization and loneliness. Results: The prevalence of reporting loneliness often or very often was 9.0%; 6.3% of the sample experienced habitual bullying victimization at school, and 4.8% incurred cyberbullying. There was a strong and graded association between loneliness and bullying victimization at school and cyberbullying. The associations were significant for boys and girls, and the association between exposure to bullying at school and loneliness was steeper for boys than girls. The gradients were steeper for physical bullying than for cyberbullying. Students exposed to habitual bullying in both contexts had an adjusted OR (95% CI) of 11.21 (6.99–17.98) for loneliness. Conclusion: Exposure to bullying at school and cyberbullying are strongly associated with loneliness. It is important to reduce bullying at school and on the internet and to promote effective interventions to reduce continuing loneliness.

Suggested Citation

  • Katrine Rich Madsen & Mogens Trab Damsgaard & Kimberly Petersen & Pamela Qualter & Bjørn E. Holstein, 2024. "Bullying at School, Cyberbullying, and Loneliness: National Representative Study of Adolescents in Denmark," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(4), pages 1-11, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:4:p:414-:d:1366161
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pamela Qualter & Alexandra Hennessey & Keming Yang & Kayleigh L. Chester & Ellen Klemera & Fiona Brooks, 2021. "Prevalence and Social Inequality in Youth Loneliness in the UK," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-10, October.
    2. Alina Cosma & Sophie D. Walsh & Kayleigh L. Chester & Mary Callaghan & Michal Molcho & Wendy Craig & William Pickett, 2020. "Bullying victimization: time trends and the overlap between traditional and cyberbullying across countries in Europe and North America," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 65(1), pages 75-85, January.
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