Bullying Experiences and Depressive Symptoms
th
by Gender in 9 Graders
Susan G. Williams MSN,
1,2
RN ,
Jennifer Langhinrichsen-Rohling
3
PhD ,
Anne Turner Henson DSN, RN,
1,
FAAN
Cory Wornell MS,
3
MPH
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing1, Leadership and Education in Child Health Nursing (LECHN) Fellow2
Gulf Coast Behavioral Health and Resiliency Center – University of South Alabama3
Results
Background
• Half of all mental health disorders begin by age 14 and 8%
of all adolescents suffer depressive symptoms (NAMI, 2013).
• Depressive symptoms not recognized early can track into
adulthood, leading to more severe mental illness (National
Sample Demographics
Total 9th graders n= 237
Institute of Mental Health, 2005).
•
Bullying – relational problem between peers where power
is exerted over another by aggressive means using size,
strength, age, social status (Olweus, 2003).
• 20% of Adolescents are bullied (CDC,YBR survey, 2011).
• 9th graders may be at greater risk for bullying than 10th
11th and 12th graders (Fredstrom, Adams & Gilman, 2011;
Socioeconomic
Lunch Status
Free – 51.5%
Reduced- 7.6%
Full pay – 34.6%
Home lunch – 14.8%
Male n = 108
Female n = 129
Schneider, O’Donnell, Stueve, & Coulter, 2012).
•
The 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey
reported grades 9-12, females (22%) have a higher
prevalence of bullying than males (18%) (CDC, YBR survey,
2011) ; however, other studies show that males have a
higher prevalence of bullying than females (Kshirsagar,
1%
•
•
Bullying is associated with depressive symptoms in
adolescents (Fisher, Moffitt, Houts, Belsky, Arsenault & Caspi, 2012;
Kaltiala-Heino et al, 2010;Lemstra et al., 2012)
Health & Behavior study (2005) reported females
experienced cyberbullying, exclusion and rumor spreading,
whereas males experienced more physical and verbal
bullying.
Purpose/Research Questions
The purpose of this study is to examine depressive
symptoms (CESD-10 >10) and bullying/cyberbullying
in 9th graders, and to compare by gender.
Research Questions:
• What is the frequency of depressive symptoms
(CESD-10 >10)?
• What is the frequency of bullying/cyberbullying
characteristics?
• What are the differences in characteristics of
bullying/cyberbullying by gender?
• What is the difference in bullying characteristics
in 9th graders who report depressive symptoms
(CESD-10 >10)?
Female 9th graders were more likely to report depressive
symptoms (CESD-10 >10) than males.
• Females were more likely to report being bullied and cyberbullied
than males.
• Females reported more relational, exclusion, and verbal abuse
characteristics of bullying than males.
• Characteristics of bullying were more likely to be associated with
9th graders who reported depressive symptoms (CESD-10 > 10).
• 9th grade adolescent females are a vulnerable group for bullying
and depressive symptoms.
• Total sample – 34.76%
• Females – 24.76%, Males - 10%
*
CESD-10 >10
Female
3%
26%
•
Depressive Symptoms (CESD-10 > 10)
by Gender
Ethnic
Background
6%
6%
Agarwal, Bavdekar, 2007; Liang, Flisher, Lombard, 2007; Wei, Williams,
Chen & Chang, 2010).
Conclusions
Caucasian
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Native Am
66%
Male
Future Research
•
CESD-10 <10
•
* p < .05
0
20
40
60
80
•
Characteristics of Bullying & Cyberbullying by Gender
(At least once/month)
Cyberbullied (n=73)
Were you bullied
*
Were you cyberbullied
Attacked (n=3)
Pushed or shoved
Wouldn't talk to me (n=8)
Said mean things
Wrote bad things
Pushed or shoved (n=10)
*
Said mean things (n=22)
Wouldn't talk to me
Wrote bad things (n=7)
Attacked me
Female
Broke my things
Male
Not part of group
Methods/Measures
Played jokes on me
Secondary data analysis of School Climate Survey
(Baldwin county, AL)
• Sample - 9th graders attending a southern Alabama
high school
• Measures:
• Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression
survey (CESD-10) (Radloff, 1977)
• Bullying Survey (Swearer, 2003, 2008)
• Cyberbullying Survey (Patchin & Hinduja, 2009)
Do bad things to me
Percentage of Bullying Characteristics
(At least once/month)
by Depressive Symptoms (CESD-10 > 10)*
Broke my things (n=5)
Not part of group (n=11)
Played jokes (n=12)
Made fun of me
Threatened (n=10)
Called me names
Made fun of me (n= 18)
* p< .05
0.00%
Examine gender differences in 9th graders who report depressive
symptoms (CESD-10 > 10) and types of bullying.
Examine race and Socioeconomic status in 9th graders who report
depressive symptoms (CESD-10 > 10) and types of bullying.
Determine predictors of 9th graders who are bullied and at risk for
depressive symptoms.
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
Called me names (n=27)
* p < .05
0
50
100
This activity was initiated as a result of funding from the Gulf Region Health Outreach Program (GRHOP). GRHOP
was developed jointly by BP and Plaintiffs' Steering Committee in the Deepwater Horizon litigation in the U.S. District Court
in New Orleans. It is being supervised by the court, and is funded with $105 million from the BP Deepwater Horizon
Medical Settlement. While the court approved the settlement on January 11, 2013, it is contingent on resolution of any
appeals.