Factors Associated With Bullying Victimization In Colombian High-School Students

Abstract

The study’s objective was to establish variables associated with bullying victimization among Colombian high-school students. The authors designed a cross-sectional study with adolescents in the tenth- and eleventh grades. The authors used an item from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey Questionnaire to explore the lifetime prevalence of bullying victimization. A total of 1,462 adolescents participated; they were between 13 and 17 years old (M=15.98, SD=0.83), 60.33% were females, and 22.98% reported lifetime bullying victimization. The risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (OR=1.92, 95%CI 1.43-2.56), school weapon carrying (OR=1.47, 95%CI 1.10-1.97), perception of poor-mediocre health (OR=1.47, 95%CI 1.11-1.93) and eleventh grade (OR=1.36, 95%CI 1.06-1.74) were associated with lifetime bullying victimization. In conclusion, bullying victimization is related to the risk of post-traumatic stress, school weapon carrying, and perception of poor-mediocre health. Further studies must explore the past-year and last-month prevalence of bullying victimization.