IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/chinre/v17y2024i1d10.1007_s12187-023-10084-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Children’s Experiences of Bullying Victimization and the Influence on Their Subjective Well-Being: a Population-Based Study

Author

Listed:
  • Shazly Savahl

    (University of the Western Cape)

  • Sabirah Adams

    (University of Cape Town)

  • Phadiel Hoosen

    (University of the Western Cape)

Abstract

Bullying is both a major public health concern and a violation of children’s right to safety from violence. Within the past decade, there has been an increasing interest in the relation between bullying and children’s subjective well-being (SWB). Empirical research has unequivocally demonstrated the significant negative influence of bullying on children’s SWB. Within the South African context, violence and aggressive behaviour is widespread. The high prevalence of school bullying in South Africa is intricately related to the intergenerational experiences of violence, rooted in the history of racism, prejudice, oppression, exclusion, and the discriminatory practices of apartheid. However, there are limited large-scale studies that explores the relation between bullying victimization and children’s SWB. The current study, uses a population-based sample to explore the relation between bullying victimization and children’s SWB in South Africa, across provincial regions (nine provinces), age (10 - and 12-years), gender (boys and girls), geographical context (urban and rural), and socio-economic status (low, lower-middle, and middle socio-economic status). The study uses Subjective Well-Being Homeostasis Theory to frame and interpret the findings. We found a significant negative relationship between bullying victimization and children’s SWB. The combined influence of being hit, called unkind names and socially excluded explained 6 % of the variance in SWB for the overall sample, with some variation across provincial region, age groups, gender, geographical context, and socio-economic status. The study further found that increased incidences of bullying experiences were associated with lower mean scores of SWB. Finally, the study found that even though the different forms of bullying victimization have a significant negative influence on children’s SWB, the homeostatic mechanism is potentially mediating this influence and maintaining levels of SWB.

Suggested Citation

  • Shazly Savahl & Sabirah Adams & Phadiel Hoosen, 2024. "Children’s Experiences of Bullying Victimization and the Influence on Their Subjective Well-Being: a Population-Based Study," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 17(1), pages 1-29, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:chinre:v:17:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s12187-023-10084-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s12187-023-10084-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12187-023-10084-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12187-023-10084-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Robert Cummins, 2010. "Subjective Wellbeing, Homeostatically Protected Mood and Depression: A Synthesis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, March.
    2. Joaquina Lever & Nuria Piñol & Jorge Uralde, 2005. "Poverty, Psychological Resources And Subjective Well-Being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 73(3), pages 375-408, September.
    3. Jorge J. Varela & Shazly Savahl & Sabirah Adams & Fernando Reyes, 2020. "Examining the Relationship Among Bullying, School Climate and Adolescent Well-Being in Chile and South Africa: a Cross Cultural Comparison," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(3), pages 819-838, June.
    4. Savahl, Shazly & Tiliouine, Habib & Casas, Ferran & Adams, Sabirah & Mekonen, Yehualashet & Dejene, Negussie & Benninger, Elizabeth & Witten, Heidi, 2017. "Children's subjective well-being in Africa: A comparative analysis across three countries," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 31-40.
    5. Ihsana Sabriani Borualogo & Ferran Casas, 2021. "Subjective Well-Being of Bullied Children in Indonesia," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(2), pages 753-773, April.
    6. Mònica González-Carrasco & Ferran Casas & Asher Ben-Arieh & Shazly Savahl & Habib Tiliouine, 2019. "Children’s Perspectives and Evaluations of Safety in Diverse Settings and Their Subjective Well-Being: A Multi-National Approach," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 14(2), pages 309-334, April.
    7. Haridhan Goswami, 2012. "Social Relationships and Children’s Subjective Well-Being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 107(3), pages 575-588, July.
    8. Oriol, Xavier & Miranda, Rafael & Unanue, Jesus, 2020. "Bullying victimization at school and subjective well-being in early and late Peruvian adolescents in residential care: The contribution of satisfaction with microsystem domains," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    9. Ihsana Sabriani Borualogo & Ferran Casas, 2023. "Bullying Victimisation and Children’s Subjective Well-being: A Comparative Study in Seven Asian Countries," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(1), pages 1-27, February.
    10. Steenkamp, Jan-Benedict E M & Baumgartner, Hans, 1998. "Assessing Measurement Invariance in Cross-National Consumer Research," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 25(1), pages 78-90, June.
    11. Bradshaw, Jonathan & Rees, Gwyther, 2017. "Exploring national variations in child subjective well-being," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 3-14.
    12. Ferran Casas, 2017. "Analysing the Comparability of 3 Multi-Item Subjective Well-Being Psychometric Scales Among 15 Countries Using Samples of 10 and 12-Year-Olds," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 10(2), pages 297-330, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ihsana Sabriani Borualogo & Ferran Casas, 2021. "Subjective Well-Being of Bullied Children in Indonesia," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(2), pages 753-773, April.
    2. Corominas, Mari & González-Carrasco, Mònica & Casas, Ferran, 2021. "Analyzing factors for an optimum play environment through children’s subjective well-being indicators," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    3. Cho, Esther Yin-Nei & Yu, Fuk-Yuen, 2020. "A review of measurement tools for child wellbeing," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    4. Makhtoom Ahmed & Imran Sabir & Muhammad Zaman, 2022. "Children’s Perceptions of their Safety and Agency in Pakistan," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(3), pages 959-987, June.
    5. Shazly Savahl & Sabirah Adams & Ferran Casas & Maria Florence, 2023. "Children’s Interactions with Family and Friends in Constrained Contexts: Considerations for Children’s Subjective Well-Being," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(1), pages 321-339, February.
    6. Huang, Liang, 2021. "Bullying victimization, self-efficacy, fear of failure, and adolescents’ subjective well-being in China," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    7. Ana Loreto Ditzel & Yuli Ketain Meiri & Ferran Casas & Asher Ben-Arieh & Javier Torres-Vallejos, 2023. "Satisfaction with the Neighborhood of Israeli and Chilean Children and its Effects on their Subjective Well-being," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(2), pages 863-895, April.
    8. Coral Gallardo-Masa & Rosa Sitjes-Figueras & Edgar Iglesias & Carme Montserrat, 2024. "How Adolescents in Residential Care Perceive their Skills and Satisfaction with Life: Do Adolescents and Youth Workers Agree?," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 17(1), pages 261-287, February.
    9. Ihsana Sabriani Borualogo & Ferran Casas, 2023. "Sibling Bullying, School Bullying, and Children’s Subjective Well-Being Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(3), pages 1203-1232, June.
    10. Marja Lindberg & Mikael Nygård & Fredrica Nyqvist & Mia Hakovirta, 2021. "Financial Stress and Subjective Wellbeing among Children -Evidence from Finland," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(2), pages 799-819, April.
    11. Ana Blasco-Belled & Mònica González-Carrasco & Ferran Casas, 2023. "Filling the 8-Year-Old Gap in the Study of Well-Being: Cross-Cultural Assessment and Validation of a Subjective Well-Being Measure Across 19 Countries," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(3), pages 1363-1380, June.
    12. L. Migliorini & T. Tassara & N. Rania, 2019. "A Study of Subjective Well-Being and Life Satisfaction in Italy: how are Children doing at 8 years of Age?," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 12(1), pages 49-69, February.
    13. Rojas, Mariano, 2011. "Poverty and psychological distress in Latin America," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 206-217, March.
    14. Tsukasa Kato, 2021. "Measurement Invariance in the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) Scale among English-Speaking Whites and Asians," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-10, May.
    15. Ihsana Sabriani Borualogo & Ferran Casas, 2023. "Bullying Victimisation and Children’s Subjective Well-being: A Comparative Study in Seven Asian Countries," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(1), pages 1-27, February.
    16. Knoppen, Desirée & Sáenz, María Jesús, 2017. "Interorganizational teams in low-versus high-dependence contexts," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 15-25.
    17. Anselmsson, Johan & Burt, Steve & Tunca, Burak, 2017. "An integrated retailer image and brand equity framework: Re-examining, extending, and restructuring retailer brand equity," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 194-203.
    18. Berta Ferrer-Rosell & Germa Coenders & Estela Marine-Roig, 2017. "Is planning through the Internet (un)related to trip satisfaction?," Information Technology & Tourism, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 229-244, June.
    19. Lili Tian & Li Zhang & E. Scott Huebner & Xiaoting Zheng & Wang Liu, 2016. "The Longitudinal Relationship Between School Belonging and Subjective Well-Being in School Among Elementary School Students," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 11(4), pages 1269-1285, December.
    20. Janina Isabel Steinert & Lucie Dale Cluver & G. J. Melendez-Torres & Sebastian Vollmer, 2018. "One Size Fits All? The Validity of a Composite Poverty Index Across Urban and Rural Households in South Africa," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 136(1), pages 51-72, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:chinre:v:17:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s12187-023-10084-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.