Bullying/victimization from a family perspective: a qualitative study of secondary school students’ views

Saúde do escolar: uma revisão integrativa sobre família e bullying

“…Different qualitative aspects and different aspects of family relationships associated with involvement with bullying include: ineffective parental styles 20,21 ; severe and corporal punishment when disciplining children [19][20][21] ; family conflicts [22][23][24] ; lack of parental supervision and lack of affection 25,26 ; low quality of relationship between parents and children 13,27 ; and communication problems between parents and children 12,28 . Other determinants include the low educational level of parents 8,22 , low socioeconomic conditions 8,29 , living with a single parental figure 28; [30][31][32] , and experiencing or witnessing domestic violence 10,21,33,34 .…”

“…In general, the assessments of students concerning contextual variables (family functioning, school environment and climate factors) can be associated with the involvement of students experiencing bullying and victimization 10,12,45 . In this context, risk factors include: lack of affection on the part of parents; aggressiveness is allowed among siblings, peers and even adults; rejection; overly protective parents; neglecting parents; difficult communication with parents; physical punishment and emotional outbursts on the part of parents when disciplining children 3,8,14 .…”

“…Damage to the victims includes anxiety, depression, relationship problems, and fragile self-esteem, in addition to other psychiatric disorders that may culminate in suicide. Bystanders, in turn, are subject to the same problems to which victims are subject and can also develop aggressive behaviors, as they perceive themselves to be vulnerable to social situations otherwise 3,5,12 . Therefore, bullying occurs within an enlarged social context, the privileged setting of which, addressed in this study, is the school, even while its origins vary.…”

“…Additionally, the roles of parents and families should also be valued in investigations addressing how bullying comes to develop, is maintained and can be prevented [12][13][14] . Therefore, understanding family relations and how they contribute to the development of the behavior of bullies or victims broadens our perspective on the phenomenon.…”

“…In regard to the damage caused to the psychological and physical health of those involved, bullying is considered to be an indicator for the diagnosis of conduct disorder and for the development of antisocial behavior and criminality 11,12 . Damage to the victims includes anxiety, depression, relationship problems, and fragile self-esteem, in addition to other psychiatric disorders that may culminate in suicide.…”