Risk and Protective Factors in Children Bullying Perpetration: Application of the Multiple Disadvantage Model

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Child Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Bullying perpetration is a significant public health concern with complex etiological factors.
• Understanding the interplay between social, familial, and individual factors is crucial for effective prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationships between bullying perpetration and various social structural factors, social relationships, and mental health indicators.
• To identify key risk and protective factors associated with bullying perpetration in children aged 6-17 years.

Main Methods:

• Secondary data analysis of a large, nationally representative sample (N=30,173) from the 2021 National Survey of Children's Health.
• Logistic regression models were employed to assess associations between bullying perpetration and multiple covariates.

Main Results:

• Positive associations with bullying perpetration included racial discrimination, younger child age groups (6-10, 11-13 years), parent education, employed parent, neighbor support, family violence, parenting difficulties, peer difficulties, behavioral/conduct problems, family substance use, and mental health service receipt.
• Negative associations included safe neighborhoods, Black, Asian, and other non-Hispanic ethnic minority status, older parent age, and family cohesiveness.

Conclusions:

• Bullying perpetration is associated with a range of adverse social, familial, and individual factors, highlighting the need for multifaceted interventions.
• Implications point towards promoting awareness of racial discrimination and implementing comprehensive bully prevention programs in schools and communities.