Relationship between bullying and health problems in primary school children.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between bullying and exposure to bullying and the health problems in the primary school children.

METHODS

This study was conducted on 92 parents and 92 students who were sixth grade students in two primary schools in Izmir. The data were collected using the Peer Bullying Scale Adolescent Form and the Identification of Health Problems Form. The data were analyzed through χ(2) analysis and odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS

About forty-nine percent of the students (48.9%) was male, 51.1% of them was female and the average age was 11.6 ± 0.53 years. It was found that students who had high scores for being exposed to bullying were significantly more likely to experience headache, feeling bad, crying restlessness, nervousness, sleeping problems, dizziness; whereas students who had high bullying scores were significantly more likely to experience only poor appetite.

CONCLUSIONS

Students exposed to bullying have more health problems than the bullying students. It is recommended that programs designed to prevent the negative effects of bullying be developed.