Authors: Sara Andersson, Caroline Sandström

Supervisor: Sabina Kapeanovic

Abstract

Bullying is a major global problem that is prevalent among young people. The aim of the present study is to investigate mental health and tobacco, alcohol and drug use and child disclosure related to bullying. The study intended to verify background variables such as gender, ethnicity and enjoyment of the area one lives in. The following questions were formulated: (a) Is there any connection between mental health, tobacco, alcohol and drug use, child disclosure and bullying? (b) How does bullying relate to mental health, tobacco, alcohol and drug use and child disclosure while controlling for gender, ethnicity and enjoyment of the area? To study this area, we used a quantitative approach with material from the LoRDIA (Longitudinal Research on Development In Adolescence) study in 2015. The study included 1324 students from two small and two medium-sized cities in Jönköping’s and Västra Götaland’s county in southern Sweden. The result indicate that there is a statistically significant relationship between bullying, mental health, tobacco, alcohol and drug use, as well as child disclosure. The most interesting result of the study shows that there is a significant difference between boys and girls bullying behavior: Boys are more involved in bullying than girls, and their bullying behavior is predicted by tobacco, alcohol, and drug use and child disclosure and perceived enjoyment of the area they live in, while girls bullying related to mental health, child disclosure, ethnicity and enjoyment of the area they live in.

This research is financed by:

Swedish Research Council, FORTE, VINNOVA, Formas

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