IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jscscx/v2y2013i4p208-220d29650.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Determinants for Bullying Victimization among 11–16-Year-Olds in 15 Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Multi-Level Study

Author

Listed:
  • Michael L. Wilson

    (Centre for Injury Prevention and Community Safety (CIPCS), PeerCorps Trust Fund, 352/64 Makunganya Street, Co-Architecture Building, 4th Floor, P. O. Box 22499, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
    Unit of Adolescent Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, Department of Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Turku, Kaskenkatu 13 A 7, Turku 20700, Finland)

  • Andrea C. Dunlavy

    (Centre for Injury Prevention and Community Safety (CIPCS), PeerCorps Trust Fund, 352/64 Makunganya Street, Co-Architecture Building, 4th Floor, P. O. Box 22499, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania)

  • André Berchtold

    (Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lausanne, SSP/Géopolis, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland)

Abstract

Bullying is an issue of public health importance among adolescents worldwide. The present study aimed at explaining differences in bullying rates among adolescents in 15 low- and middle-income countries using globally comparable indicators of social and economic well-being. Using data derived from the Global School-based Health Survey, we performed bivariate analyses to examine differences in bullying rates by country and by bullying type. We then constructed a multi-level model using four fixed variables (age, gender, hunger and truancy) at the individual level, random effects at the classroom and school levels and four fixed variables at the country level (Gini coefficient, per capita Gross Domestic Project, homicide rate and pupil to teacher ratio). Bullying rates differed significantly by classroom, school and by country, with Egypt (34.2%) and Macedonia (3.6%) having the highest and lowest rates, respectively. Eleven-year-olds were the most likely of the studied age groups to report being bullied, as was being a male. Hunger and truancy were found to significantly predict higher rates of bullying. None of the explanatory variables at the country level remained in the final model. While self-reported bullying varied significantly between countries, the variance between classrooms better explained these differences. Our findings suggest that classroom settings should be considered when designing approaches aimed at bullying prevention.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael L. Wilson & Andrea C. Dunlavy & André Berchtold, 2013. "Determinants for Bullying Victimization among 11–16-Year-Olds in 15 Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Multi-Level Study," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 2(4), pages 1-13, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:2:y:2013:i:4:p:208-220:d:29650
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/2/4/208/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/2/4/208/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Due, P. & Merlo, J. & Harel-Fisch, Y. & Damsgaard, M.T. & Holstein, B.E. & Hetland, J. & Currie, C. & Gabhainn, S.N. & De Matos, M.G. & Lynch, J., 2009. "Socioeconomic inequality in exposure to bullying during adolescence: A comparative, cross-sectional, multilevel study in 35 countries," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99(5), pages 907-914.
    2. World Bank, 2012. "World Development Indicators 2012," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6014.
    3. Bhattacharya, Jayanta & Currie, Janet & Haider, Steven, 2004. "Poverty, food insecurity, and nutritional outcomes in children and adults," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 839-862, July.
    4. Wendy Craig & Yossi Harel-Fisch & Haya Fogel-Grinvald & Suzanne Dostaler & Jorn Hetland & Bruce Simons-Morton & Michal Molcho & Margarida Mato & Mary Overpeck & Pernille Due & William Pickett, 2009. "A cross-national profile of bullying and victimization among adolescents in 40 countries," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 54(2), pages 216-224, September.
    5. Ram, Rati, 1984. "Population increase, economic growth, educational inequality, and income distribution : Some recent evidence," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 419-428, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ioannis Katsantonis & Beatriz Barrado & Ros McLellan & Gregorio Gimenez, 2024. "Subjective Well-Being and Bullying Victimisation: A Cross-National Study of Adolescents in 64 Countries and Economies," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 17(4), pages 1563-1585, August.
    2. Bradshaw, Jonathan & Crous, Gemma & Rees, Gwyther & Turner, Nick, 2017. "Comparing children's experiences of schools-based bullying across countries," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 171-180.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Elsaesser, Caitlin & Hong, Jun Sung & Voisin, Dexter R., 2016. "Violence exposure and bullying among African American adolescents: Examining the protective role of academic engagement," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 394-402.
    2. Jorge J. Varela & Shazly Savahl & Sabirah Adams & Fernando Reyes, 2020. "Examining the Relationship Among Bullying, School Climate and Adolescent Well-Being in Chile and South Africa: a Cross Cultural Comparison," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(3), pages 819-838, June.
    3. Claudia Schmiedeberg & Nina Schumann, 2019. "Poverty and Adverse Peer Relationships among Children in Germany: a Longitudinal Study," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 12(5), pages 1717-1733, October.
    4. Michael L. Wilson & Karen L. Celedonia & Benjamin A. Kamala, 2013. "Patterns, Characteristics, and Correlates of Adolescent Bully-Victims in Urban Tanzania," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 2(4), pages 1-13, October.
    5. Emmanuel O. Acquah & Michael L. Wilson & David T. Doku, 2014. "Patterns and Correlates for Bullying among Young Adolescents in Ghana," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 3(4), pages 1-14, October.
    6. Frank Elgar & Kate Pickett & William Pickett & Wendy Craig & Michal Molcho & Klaus Hurrelmann & Michela Lenzi, 2013. "School bullying, homicide and income inequality: a cross-national pooled time series analysis," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 58(2), pages 237-245, April.
    7. Låftman, Sara Brolin & Modin, Bitte & Östberg, Viveca, 2013. "Cyberbullying and subjective health," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 112-119.
    8. Li, Aijun & Du, Nan & Wei, Qian, 2014. "The cross-country implications of alternative climate policies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 155-163.
    9. Léleng Kebalo & Hamitande Dout & Mawuli K. Couchoro & Stéphane Zouri, 2022. "Intégration – commerciale, budgétaire, financière – régionale et inégalités de revenu dans la Communauté Economique des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (CEDEAO)," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 34(S1), pages 102-116, July.
    10. Weitzel, Matthias & Ghosh, Joydeep & Peterson, Sonja & Pradhan, Basanta K., 2015. "Effects of international climate policy for India: evidence from a national and global CGE model," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(4), pages 516-538, August.
    11. Joshua C. Hall, Serkan Karadas and Minh Tam T. Schlosky, 2018. "Is There Moral Hazard in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative Debt Relief Process?," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 43(3), pages 1-24, September.
    12. Mekonnen, Daniel Ayalew & Gerber, Nicolas & Matz, Julia Anna, 2018. "Gendered Social Networks, Agricultural Innovations, and Farm Productivity in Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 321-335.
    13. Kaika, Dimitra & Zervas, Efthimios, 2013. "The environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) theory. Part B: Critical issues," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1403-1411.
    14. Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda, 2012. "Targeted Subsidies and Private Market Participation: An Assessment of Fertilizer Demand in Nigeria:," IFPRI discussion papers 1194, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    15. Kjetil Bjorvatn & Mohammad Reza Farzanegan, 2014. "Resource Rents, Power, and Political Stability," CESifo Working Paper Series 4727, CESifo.
    16. Wenju Cai & Yi Liu & Xiaopei Lin & Ziguang Li & Ying Zhang & David Newth, 2024. "Nonlinear country-heterogenous impact of the Indian Ocean Dipole on global economies," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    17. Ghosh, sudeshna, 2017. "Education Attainment Forecasting and Economic Inequality United States," MPRA Paper 89712, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Block, Joern H. & Hirschmann, Mirko & Kranz, Tobias & Neuenkirch, Matthias, 2023. "Public family firms and economic inequality across societies," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 19(C).
    19. Nicholas Moellman, 2020. "Healthcare and Hunger: Effects of the ACA Medicaid Expansions on Food Insecurity in America," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(2), pages 168-186, June.
    20. Jens K. Perret, 2015. "Comments on the Impact of Knowledge on Economic Growth across the Regions of the Russian Federation," EIIW Discussion paper disbei207, Universitätsbibliothek Wuppertal, University Library.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:2:y:2013:i:4:p:208-220:d:29650. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.