Prevalence and associated factors of bullying perpetration and victimization: results from a national, school-based survey in Brazil

Background: Bullying is a serious behavioral issue for youth, and it can take many insidious forms, including physical aggression, verbal abuse, social exclusion, and cyberbullying, which leave lasting wounds on the victim (Barlett, 2017). Aim and conceptual framework: The long-term effects of bullying have ramifications well beyond the victim's immediate mood, often extending to academic outcomes, mental health, and social development (Gámez-Guadix et al., 2013; Palermiti et al., 2017). Thus, this study examined the prevalence of bullying perpetration and victimization in a large sample of Brazilian youth, exploring gender differences and the associations with self-reported support from parents. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that used both inferential and descriptive statistics to address the study's goals. The sample comprised 165,838 responses from Brazilian students. Results: Alarmingly, 39.63% (95%CI: 39.39%, 39.87%) of the students reported being victimized, while 12.22% (95%CI: 12.06%, 12.38%) reported being a perpetrator. Gender differences emerged, indicating that girls were more victimized (χ2(1)=644.767, p<.001), while boys were more involved with perpetration (χ2(1)=1,159.127, p<.001). Those who reported receiving no parental support were more likely to be victims (χ2(4)=2,188.740, p<.001) and perpetrators (χ2(4)=1,132.270, p<.001). Discussion: The findings have significant implications for comprehensive anti-bullying initiatives and emphasize strong family support to provide safer educational settings for youth in Brazil. The gender-specific patterns particularly highlight the necessity for interventions that respond to these different rates. Conclusion: The prevalence of bullying behaviors in the sample is higher in comparison to developing countries, although the gendered pattern of victimization confirms the results of cross-cultural studies. Moreover, the essential role of parents in protecting youth development from involvement with bullying aligns with the scientific evidence in the specialized literature.