¹University of Tampere, Tampere;School of Public Health,²National Research;
and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES). University of Tampere

Abstract

Bullying is recognised as problematic behaviour among schoolchildren, but the widespread influences of the feature are not fully known. In School Health Study 1997 we surveyed 17643 14-16 years old adolescents in Finland about their experiences of bullying and being bullied, and about depressive mood. Frequency of being involved with bullying (either as bully or as victim) were enquired. Depressiveness was measured by a Finnish modification of the 13-item Beck Depression Inventory (R-BDI). 9 % of the pupils had been teased frequently, at least weekly. 9 % of the pupils reported bullying others at least weekly. Bullying activities were overlapping so that among frequently victimised pupils, those being bullies themselves were overrepresented. Both being a victim and being a bully were associated to depressive mood. Where proportion of moderately to severely depressed among pupils not being bullied at all was 7 %, it was 27 % among frequently victimised adolescents. Among those who admitted bullying others many times a week the proportion of depressed (mod./sev.) was 27 %, whereas of pupils who did not bully, 7 % scored as moderately to severely depressed. Among girls, depressiveness was four times more common among those who were both bullies and victims, among boys up to fivefold more common, in comparison to pupils not involved in bullying at all. Both bullies and their victims are risk groups of major depressive disorder, although the relationship of the disorder and the involvement with bullying problem may differ between these groups. To promote adolescent mental health and well-being, preventive strategies should be tailored to stop these destructive activities and victimisation.

Keywords

Depressiveness, Bullying, Adolescents

Contact

Riittakerttu Kaltiala-Heino

Institution

¹University of Tampere, Tampere;School of Public Health,²National Research; and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES). University of Tampere

Address

P.O.Box 607

City

FIN-33101 Tampere

Country

Finland

E-mail

merihe@uta.fi

Phone

+ 358-3-2156791

Fax

+ 358-3-2156057