Povezanost vršnjačkoga zlostavljanja i psiholoških poteškoća: prospektivno istraživanje
Bullying Behavior in Relation to Psychological Difficulties: Prospective Research

Summary/Abstract: A number of studies have shown the relationship between exposure to bullying behavior and psychological problems, but it is still unclear which comes first, involvement in bullying behavior or psychological difficulties. The aim of this study was to investigate whether involvement in bullying behavior precedes psychological symptoms or whether these symptoms precede involvement in bullying behavior. A six-month longitudinal study with baseline measurements was conducted in the fall of 2008 and follow-up measurements where taken in the spring of 2009 in four elementary schools in the Široki Brijeg municipalities. The study included 536 children aged 11 to 15 years, who participated by filling out a questionnaire on both occasions of data collection. The school Relationship Questionnaire was used for assessments of bullying behavior while for assessments of psychological adjustment the Youth Self-Report was used. The results show that children involved in bullying behavior had a significantly higher risk of developing psychological difficulties such as anxiety and depression, social problems and rule breaking behavior, compared with children who are not involved in bullying behavior. At the same time, only rule breaking behavior as a specific psychological difficulty at the beginning of the year represents a risk factor for involvement in bullying during the year.

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