A1 Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä lehdessä
Changes in Bullying Experiences and Mental Health Problems Among Adolescents Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic in Greece
Tekijät: Giannakopoulos, Georgios; Zaravinos-Tsakos, Foivos; Mastrogiannakou, Maria; Sourander, Andre; Kolaitis, Gerasimos
Kustantaja: MDPI AG
Julkaisuvuosi: 2025
Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Tietokannassa oleva lehden nimi: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Lehden akronyymi: Int J Environ Res Public Health
Artikkelin numero: 497
Vuosikerta: 22
Numero: 4
ISSN: 1660-4601
eISSN: 1660-4601
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22040497
Verkko-osoite: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22040497
Rinnakkaistallenteen osoite: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/491748113
Bullying poses significant challenges to adolescent health and well-being. This time-trend study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on bullying behaviors and associated emotional and behavioral difficulties among Greek adolescents. Data were collected from two cross-sectional surveys in 2016 (n = 1574) and 2023 (n = 5753) conducted in Greece. Both samples comprised students aged 12-16 years, with near-equal gender distribution (2016, 53.4% girls; 2023, 54.5% girls) and a predominance of urban residents (approximately 73% in both samples). Traditional and cyberbullying experiences were assessed via structured questionnaires, while mental health outcomes were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Post-pandemic findings revealed substantial increases in bullying involvement; traditional bullying victimization rose from 12.4% to 21.7%, and cyberbullying victimization increased from 4.0% to 11.6%. Correspondingly, mean SDQ total scores increased significantly from 8.59 to 14.16, reflecting heightened emotional and behavioral problems. Logistic regression analyses identified male gender, urban residence, and non-traditional family structures as significant predictors of bullying involvement. These results underscore the amplified burden of bullying and mental health difficulties in the post-pandemic era, highlighting the urgent need for targeted prevention and intervention strategies to address both traditional and cyberbullying within diverse sociodemographic contexts.
Ladattava julkaisu This is an electronic reprint of the original article. |  |
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This research received no external funding.
