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Bullying Victimization and Associations With Substance Use Among US Middle School Students: 2019 Youth Risk Behavior
Colleen Barbero1, Kevin J Vagi1, Heather Clayton1
1Division of Violence Prevention (DVP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA.
The Journal of School Health
|June 13, 2023
Summary
Bullying victimization is linked to adolescent substance use. This study confirms this association in middle schoolers across various race/ethnicity groups, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Adolescent Health
- Substance Use Research
Background:
- Bullying victimization is a known risk factor for adolescent substance use.
- Limited research exists on this relationship among younger adolescents and across diverse racial/ethnic groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between bullying victimization and various substance use behaviors in middle school students.
- To investigate if these associations differ across sex and race/ethnicity categories.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 2019 Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey data from 74,059 students across 13 states.
- Logistic regression models assessed self-reported bullying (at school, electronic, both) and substance use (smoking, alcohol, marijuana, vaping, prescription misuse).
- Analyses were adjusted for age and sex/race/ethnicity.
Main Results:
- All forms of bullying victimization were significantly associated with all 5 substance use behaviors (p < .05).
- Adjusted prevalence ratios ranged from 1.29 to 2.32, indicating increased odds of substance use with bullying.
- Significant associations were observed across all 7 race/ethnicity categories, particularly in non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic/Latino, and non-Hispanic Asian groups.
Conclusions:
- Bullying victimization is a significant predictor of substance use among middle school students.
- The findings underscore the importance of addressing bullying to prevent adolescent substance use, especially considering the return to school environments.
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