Abstract

Background: While bullying is recognized as a major public health concern worldwide, little research has been conducted on prevalence and predictors of bullying in Latin American countries such as Peru. Considering the negative effects that may be experienced by bully victims, including poor academic performance, psychological distress and in extreme cases suicide, identifying the factors associated with peer victimization is important to effectively addressing peer bullying. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of peer victimization in a sample of high school students in Cusco, Peru and to explore the relationship between victimization and potential correlating factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 949 high school aged adolescents from Cusco, Peru was undertaken. Adolescents from Cusco high schools were recruited and required to obtain parental consent to participate. The final sample of students completed a survey to answer questions about demographics, bullying, their parents’ parenting behaviors, the status of their home internet connection, and academic performance. Chi-square tests and adjusted logistic regression analysis were calculated using Stata version 12.1 and were used to assess potential risk factors associated with being bullied among boys and girls. Results: Over 20% of the sample reported being mistreated or bullied by peers. More boys than girls reported being bullied (28.5% vs. 19.5%; p = 0.002). Girls whose parents engaged in more positive parenting behaviors were less likely to be bullied, while having a home Internet connection and spending more than 60 minutes on social media during the previous day were associated with an increased risk of being bullied. Among boys, no variables were significantly associated with being bullied. Conclusions: Health practitioners may want to design bullying interventions that differ for boys and girls. Interventions for girls could benefit from increased parental involvement in particular. The association between time spent on social media and bullying among girls could also be investigated. Further research is needed to understand predictors of being bullied among males in this region.

Keywords: Peru; Adolescent health; Bullying; Peer victimization; Psychological distress; Mental health; Bullying risk factors