A new international study finds that adolescents from families of low affluence reported a higher prevalence of being victims of bullying.
Researchers examined the socioeconomic distribution of adolescent exposure to bullying by surveying 162,305 students, ages 11, 13 and 15, from nationally representative samples of 5,998 schools in 35 countries in Europe and North America for the 2001-2002 school year. Through the results of this survey, researchers discovered that wide disparities in affluence at a school and large economic inequality at the national level were associated with an increased prevalence of exposure to bullying.
“Successful interventions that reduce school violence in the form of bullying may disproportionately benefit children from poorer social backgrounds, which is yet another important reason for public health to focus on school environments to reduce health inequities now and in the future,” suggest the study’s authors.
“Socioeconomic Inequality in Exposure to Bullying During Adolescence: An International Comparative, Cross-Sectional, Multilevel Study in 35 Countries.”
The American Journal of Public Health is the monthly Journal of the American Public Health Association (APHA), the oldest and most diverse organization of public health professionals in the world. APHA is a leading publisher of books and periodicals promoting sound scientific standards, action programs and public policy to enhance health.
American Journal of Public Health
