Youth Bullying as a Risk for Self-Destructive Behaviors: Call for Awareness and Advocacy

• In Event: Psychological and Physical Safety at School: Examining a Social Determinant

Abstract

Bullying in K-12 education is a significant public health concern that can cause lasting consequences to individuals, such as emotional and behavioral concerns, inclusive of self-destructive behaviors. This study investigated how prior experiences of K-12 bullying impacted the self-destructive coping responses and feelings endorsed by higher education students who experienced academic incivility, harmful behaviors often compared to bullying. In a sample of 551 current and recent higher education students, descriptive statistical analyses and t-tests were conducted. Results indicated that participants who experienced K-12 bullying were more likely to endorse negative feelings, such as frustration and sadness, and to engage in self-destructive behaviors of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) ideation and action and substance use. Implications for schools and higher education are discussed.

Authors

• Jessica Lynn Tinstman Jones, University of Central Florida

• Laurie O. Campbell, University of Central Florida

• Jaimie Stickl Haugen, St. Bonaventure University

• Claudia C Sutter, University of Virginia