Discussion
The results demonstrated that bullying is prevalent in the school
environment, as observed in other studies, showing that these episodes
occur with the same frequency among boys and girls, in contradiction
with the literature that reports the occurrence four times higher in
boys [1]. Also, it was found in the work that there is emphasis on
verbal bullying, as well as the literature points out [2].
Furthermore, it was demonstrated with the analysis of the data collected
that the professors interviewed claimed that the main preventive measure
for recurrence of aggressive behaviors is the conversation with the
students, attention to the aggressors and, when necessary, firm stance,
as well as was observed by research [3].
Also, it was observed that the main feelings when seeing others
suffering bullying were pity and anger, as shown in the bibliography
[20]. It was also analyzed that most of the bullying observers
helped the victim, which contradicts the literature that demonstrates
that the observers reacted passively as shown by the authors, also
fearing suffering the aggression [21,22]. Finally, it was found that
most of the victims shared the aggression with their parents, which was
against what was expected by the group. From this, it is concluded that
bullying is present in the lives of the vast majority of children and
young people, as well as that education professionals and students
recognize the countless physical, mental and social consequences in the
lives of the victims. With that, the stimulus of empathy and respect was
shown to be fundamental and effective, aiming to avoid aggressive acts
and, with this, to improve the quality of life of the child and society
[22].
Also, a study aimed to examine whether concerns about bullying mediate
the relationship between the school climate and the victimization of
bullying by students, as well as aggressive behavior. The data were from
a sample of 301 students in grades 6 through 8 at two predominantly
minority schools in a large US metropolitan area. The results of the
structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis of initialization indicate
that, for male students, a higher level of perceived anti-bullying
school climate was negatively associated with bullying reporting
concerns, while reporting concerns subsequently were positively
associated with victimization and aggressive bullying behavior. For the
students, the perceived school climate was not associated with concerns
about reporting bullying, but the latter were also positively associated
with victimization by bullying and aggressive behavior. Therefore,
concerns about communication about bullying mediated the association
between the perceived school climate and victimization by bullying, as
well as aggressive behavior towards male students, but not towards
women. The findings suggest the importance of strengthening the school’s
anti-bullying climate to help students overcome the concerns of bullying
reports to achieve effective results. The gender difference in the
associations between school climate and concerns about bullying reports
may reflect the variation in the types of bullying experienced by male
and female students, which requires attention to the development of
anti-bullying strategies that take into account differences in gender
and address various types of bullying [23].
Besides, another study investigated whether bullying among students is
associated with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and
whether the associations are comparable to other traumatic events
leading to PTSD. Data were collected from 219 German children and
adolescents: 150 students from the sixth to the tenth year and 69
patients from a PTSD clinic as a comparison group. The results showed
that 69 (46.0%) students in the school sample suffered bullying, 43
(28.7%) moderately, and 26 (17.3%) severely. About 50% of the severe
bullying group reached the critical cutoff point for suspected PTSD.
Although scores for PTSD symptoms were significantly higher in students
who were bullied than they were not bullied, no significant differences
were found between patients in the PTSD clinic and students who were
severely bullied. Therefore, the results suggest that bullying at school
is highly associated with PTSD symptoms. Thus, preventing bullying at
school can reduce traumatic experiences, and the consequent development
of PTSD [24].
Also, to determine the prevalence of bullying in Brazilian schools and
to analyze its association with physical activity and body image, data
from 51,192 students were collected. Boys are more intimidated (7.2%)
and are also more intimidating than girls (p <0.01). Regarding
body image, 26% of the girls considered themselves thin or very thin (p
⩽ 0.01). For boys, we observed associations between the variable of
being treated well by classmates and race. Bullying was associated with
the mother’s education. The data show the need for intersectoral actions
based on educational policies and practices that can reduce and prevent
bullying in schools [25].
Finally, a study aimed to examine the relationship between being a
victim of bullying and depressive symptoms, exploring whether the three
sources of social support mentioned moderated this association and
examining gender differences in the moderating effects of social support
on depressive symptoms associated with bullying among Chinese high
school students. A total of 1,252 students were selected from three high
schools in Zhenping County, Henan Province, China. The results suggest
that victimization by bullying is significantly associated with
depressive symptoms among high school students. In addition, it was
found that only school-type social support had a moderating effect on
depressive symptoms. Those who were bullied, but with high levels of
school support, had lower levels of depressive symptoms than those with
less school support. However, the moderating effects of this support
were found only for girls, not for boys. This study empirically supports
that programs designed to increase social support for students of
teachers and classmates can help protect high school students from
depressive symptoms [26].