Self-Esteem and Resilience in Adolescence: Differences between Bystander Roles and Their Implications in School Violence in Spain

Abstract

School violence is a social problem that has an impact on the psychological well-being of adolescents. One of the least identified roles within school violence is that of bystander, which refers to students who witness acts of violence perpetrated by their peers in the school environment. Current scientific evidence determines that young people with high self-esteem and resilience tend to have better mental health. The aim of this research is to identify the role of being a bystander of school violence on self-esteem and resilience in this crucial developmental stage of adolescence. The sample is composed of a total of 730 adolescents aged between 14 and 19 years. The results obtained indicate that young people who perceive themselves as non-bystanders of school violence show higher levels of self-esteem. As for the differences according to sex, it was found that non-bystander boys have greater resilience and self-esteem compared to girls. There are negative correlations between a healthy lifestyle and stress, but positive correlations between healthy lifestyle and self-esteem. In addition, we wanted to investigate the likelihood that observant adolescents intervene to help their peers. The results show that resilience acts as a protective factor that encourages such intervention, while self-esteem would be a risk factor. These findings highlight the importance of promoting resilience and self-esteem in school settings to improve peer relationships and foster healthy youth development.