Prevalence and predictors of bullying among in-school adolescents in Nigeria

OBJECTIVE: As an emerging significant public health issue affecting many students globally, school bullying is a threat that should not be disregarded. While several published studies have focused on bullying in developed countries, very little is known about the prevalence and predictors of bullying in Nigeria. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and predictors of bullying in secondary schools in Edo State, Nigeria. METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 621 in-school adolescents using a multistage random sampling technique. The 40-item Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ) was utilized for data collection. The chi-squared test, Fisher's test, and binomial logistic regression analysis were utilized to examine associations between variables at 5% level of significance. RESULTS: Approximately half of the respondents (51.9%) had experienced at least one type of bullying, while 173 (27.9%) reported themselves as bullies. The most common type of bullying was physical bullying in different forms (belonging taken/stolen-68.3%; kicked, pushed or locked indoor-52.2%; threatened-47.8%), while the most common location of bullying was the classroom in the absence of a teacher (75%); the perpetrators were reported by the majority (58.3%) to be classmates. Respondents in junior classes were 1.61-fold more likely to be bullied than those in senior classes (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.60; confidence interval [CI]: 1.15–2.24), those who live in rural areas were 1.75-fold more likely to be bullied than urban cities (AOR: 0.45; CI: 0.58–1.80), and those who were frequently beaten by their parents were 2.28-fold more likely to be bullies than those who were not beaten (AOR: 2.16; CI: 1.33–3.52). Furthermore, the act of bullying others was significantly associated with family monthly income (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Owing to the prevalence and predictors of bullying reported in this study, we recommend that policies should be implemented in schools to protect the most affected and vulnerable groups from being victims of school bullying.