School Bullying and Suicidal Risk in Korean Middle School Students

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Being a victim or a perpetrator of school bullying, the most common type of school violence, has been frequently associated with a broad spectrum of behavioral, emotional, and social problems. In a Korean middle school community sample, this study specifically investigated the prevalence of suicidal ideations and behaviors in victims, perpetrators, and victim-perpetrators of school bullying and compared them with a group of students who were in the same schools and were not involved with bullying. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 1718 seventh- and eighth-grade students in 2 middle schools participated in the study in October 2000. Students completed demographic information, Korean Peer Nomination Inventory, and Korean Youth Self-Report. RESULTS: Compared with the students who were not involved with school bullying, victim-perpetrators reported more suicidal/self-injurious behaviors and suicidal ideation in the previous 6 months (odds ratio [OR]: 1.9 and 1.9, respectively). In female students, all 3 school bullying groups had increased suicidal ideation for the previous 2 weeks (OR: 2.8, 2.0, and 2.8, respectively) but not in male students (OR: 0.9, 1.1, and 1.3, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Students who were involved in school bullying, especially victim-perpetrators and female students, had significantly higher risks for suicide ideation and suicidal behavior when compared with individuals who were not involved in school bullying. In addition to attempting to decrease bullying in a community, students who are involved in school bullying should be the targets for suicide monitoring and prevention programs.