Abstract
Child victimisation is a critical global problem with negative implications for children’s well-being. The negative consequences of bullying threaten both the emotional and social well-being and the academic performance of students. In Romania, there is currently less research on the study of victimisation at young ages. Results from a previous study show that Romanian 10- & 12-year-old children are the first at relational victimization and the first at physical victimization among those from the 15 participant countries (Rees, G., & Main, G., Children’s views on their lives and well-being in 15 countries: A report on the Children’s Worlds survey, 2013–14. York, UK. Children’s Worlds Project (ISCWeB), <publisher-loc>, 2015). The present study therefore proposes to contribute to a better understanding of this issue. To this regard, we used the results of a survey conducted in 2019 in Romania based on the methodology of the third wave of the Children’s Worlds survey (n = 3296 children of 8-, 10- & 12-year-old). Together with physical and relational victimization, this study also includes a measure of verbal victimization. Results show that victimization in school is linked with demographic and family economic background variables: boys are more victimized than girls, younger kids more than the older ones, children in schools in rural areas more than those from urban areas, and poor children more than the rich ones. Our findings also indicate a strong positive correlation between the forms of victimisation (physical, verbal and relational). Children who are exposed to victimisation also have lower levels of satisfaction with their lives, when controlling for gender, age, urban/rural school and material deprivation.
The Children’s Worlds: International Survey of Children’s Well-Being (ISCWeb), third wave is supported by the Jacobs Foundation, Switzerland.
The contribution Sergiu Bălțătescu and Claudia Bacter and was partially supported by Fondation Botnar, Switzerland, within the project “Child well-being in Romania”.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Andreou, E., Roussi-Vergou, C., Didaskalou, E., & Skrzypiec, G. (2020). School bullying, subjective Well-being, and resilience. Psychology in the Schools, 57(8), 1193–1207. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22409
Atlas, R. S., & Pepler, D. J. (1998). Observations of bullying in the classroom. The Journal of Educational Research, 92(2), 86–99. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220679809597580
Attar-Schwartz, S., & Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2008). Indirect versus verbal forms of victimization at school: The contribution of student, family, and school variables. Social Work Research, 32(3), 159–170. https://doi.org/10.1093/swr/32.3.159
Attawell, K. (2019). Behind the numbers: Ending school violence and bullying. UNESCO.
Băban, A., Balazsi, R., & Tăut, D. (2016). Comportamente de sanatate la copii și adolescenții din românia. Studiu HBSC, 2014/2015.
Bălţătescu, S. (2010). Cele două feţe ale violenţei în şcoală: rolurile de victimă şi victimizator. In S. Bălţătescu, F. Chipea, I. Cioară, A. Hatos, & S. Săveanu (Eds.), Educaţie şi schimbare socială. Perspective sociologice şi comunicaţionale (pp. 251–254). Editura Universităţii din Oradea.
Bălțătescu, S., & Bacter, C. (2020). Children’s worlds National Report—Romania. Children’s Worlds. The International Survey of Children’s Well-Being (ISCWeB).
Bandura, A. (1999). Moral disengagement in the perpetration of inhumanities. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 3(3), 193–209. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327957pspr0303_3
Borualogo, I. S., & Casas, F. (2021). Subjective Well-being of bullied children in Indonesia. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 16(2), 753–773. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-019-09778-1
Boulton, M. J., & Smith, P. K. (1994). Bully/victim problems in middle-school children: Stability, self-perceived competence, peer perceptions and peer acceptance. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 12(3), 315–329. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-835X.1994.tb00637.x
Bradshaw, J., Crous, G., Rees, G., & Turner, N. (2017). Comparing children’s experiences of schools-based bullying across countries. Children and Youth Services Review, 80, 171–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.06.060
Canas, E., Estevez, E., Martinez-Monteagudo, M. C., & Delgado, B. (2020). Emotional adjustment in victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying and traditional bullying. Social Psychology of Education, 23(4), 917–942. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-020-09565-z
Chai, L., Xue, J., & Han, Z. Q. (2020). School bullying victimization and self-rated health and life satisfaction: The gendered buffering effect of educational expectations. Children and Youth Services Review, 116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105252
Driskell, J. E., & Mullen, B. (1990). Status, Expectations, and Behavior:A Meta-Analytic Review and Test of the Theory. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 16(3), 541–553, doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167290163012.
Dulmus, C. N., Theriot, M. T., Sowers, K. M., & Blackburn, J. A. (2004). Student reports of peer bullying victimization in a rural school. Stress, Trauma, and Crisis, 7(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/15434610490281093
Gaffney, H., Ttofi, M. M., & Farrington, D. P. (2019). Evaluating the effectiveness of school-bullying prevention programs: An updated meta-analytical review. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 45, 111–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2018.07.001
Gini, G., & Pozzoli, T. (2009). Association between bullying and psychosomatic problems: A meta-analysis. Pediatrics, 123(3), 1059–1065. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2008-1215
Gladden, R., Vivolo-Kantor, A., Hamburger, M., & Lumpkin, C. (2014). Bullying Surveillance Among Youths: Uniform Definitions for Public Health and Recommended Data Elements, Version 1.0.
Hatos, A. (2009). Tineri violenţi, categorii violente de şcolari sau şcoli violente? Studiu multinivel al fenomenelor de victimizare la adolescenţii şcolari. In A. Hatos & S. Săveanu (Eds.), Educația și excluziunea socială a adolescenților din România (pp. 199–212). Editura Universității din Oradea.
Holt, M. K., Vivolo-Kantor, A. M., Polanin, J. R., Holland, K. M., DeGue, S., Matjasko, J. L., et al. (2015). Bullying and suicidal ideation and behaviors: A meta-analysis. Pediatrics, 135(2), e496–e509. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2014-1864
Holt, T. J., Chee, G., Ng, E. A. H., & Bossler, A. M. (2013). Exploring the consequences of bullying victimization in a sample of Singapore youth. International Criminal Justice Review, 23(1), 25–40. https://doi.org/10.1177/1057567712475305
Hong, J. S., & Espelage, D. L. (2012). A review of research on bullying and peer victimization in school: An ecological system analysis. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 17(4), 311–322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2012.03.003
Huebner, E. S., Hills, K. J., Jiang, X., Long, R. F., Kelly, R., & Lyons, M. D. (2014). Schooling and Children’s subjective Well-being. In A. Ben-Arieh, F. Casas, I. Frønes, & J. E. Korbin (Eds.), Handbook of child Well-being: Theories, methods and policies in global perspective (pp. 797–819). Springer Netherlands.
Hymel, S., Schonert-Reichl, K. A., Bonanno, R. A., Vaillancourt, T., & Henderson, N. R. (2010). Bullying and morality: Understanding how good kids can behave badly. In S. R. Jimerson, S. M. Swearer, & D. L. Espelage (Eds.), Handbook of bullying in schools: An international perspective (pp. 101–118). Routledge.
Kim, Y. S., & Leventhal, B. (2008). Bullying and suicide. A review. International journal of adolescent. Medicine and Health, 20(2), 133–154. https://doi.org/10.1515/IJAMH.2008.20.2.133
Landon, M., & Harder, W. (2015). Expert on Bullying Worries More About Children in Rural Schools. https://uknow.uky.edu/campus-news/expert-bullying-worries-more-about-children-rural-schools.
Leadbeater, B. J., Sukhawathanakul, P., Smith, A., Thompson, R. S. Y., Gladstone, E. J., & Sklar, N. (2013). Bullying and victimization in rural schools: Risks, reasons, and responses. Journal of Rural Community Development, 8(1), 31–47.
Marsh, H. W., Nagengast, B., Morin, A. J. S., Parada, R. H., Craven, R. G., & Hamilton, L. R. (2011). Construct validity of the multidimensional structure of bullying and victimization: An application of exploratory structural equation modelling. Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(3), 701–732. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024122
Nansel, T. R., Overpeck, M., Pilla, R. S., Ruan, W. J., Simons-Morton, B., & Scheidt, P. (2001). Bullying Behaviors among US youth. JAMA, 285(16), 2094. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.285.16.2094
O’Connell, P., Pepler, D., & Craig, W. (1999). Peer involvement in bullying: Insights and challenges for intervention. Journal of Adolescence, 22(4), 437–452. https://doi.org/10.1006/jado.1999.0238
OECD (2017). Bullying. In OECD (Ed.), PISA 2015 Results (Volume III): Students’ Well-Being. : OECD Publishing.
Olweus, D. (1994). Bullying at school: Basic facts and an effective intervention programme. Promotion & Education, 1(4), 27–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/102538239400100414
Rees, G., & Main, G. (2015). Children’s views on their lives and Well-being in 15 countries: A report on the Children’s worlds survey, 2013–14. York, UK. Children’s Worlds Project (ISCWeB).
Rees, G., Savahl, S., Lee, B., & Casas, F. (2020). Children’s views on their lives and Well-being in 35 countries: A report on the Children’s worlds study, 2016–19. Jerusalem, Israel. Children’s Worlds Project (ISCWeB).
Rivers, I., & Smith, P. K. (1994). Types of bullying behaviour and their correlates. Aggressive Behavior, 20(5), 359–368. https://doi.org/10.1002/1098-2337(1994)20:5<359::AID-AB2480200503>3.0.CO;2-J
Salmivalli, C., Kärnä, A., & Poskiparta, E. (2011). Counteracting bullying in Finland: The KiVa program and its effects on different forms of being bullied. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 35(5), 405–411. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025411407457
Salmivalli, C., Lagerspetz, K., Björkqvist, K., Österman, K., & Kaukiainen, A. (1996). Bullying as a group process: Participant roles and their relations to social status within the group. Aggressive Behavior, 22(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1098-2337(1996)22:1<1::AID-AB1>3.0.CO;2-T
Salmivalli, C., & Voeten, M. (2004). Connections between attitudes, group norms, and behaviour in bullying situations. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 28(3), 246–258. https://doi.org/10.1080/01650250344000488
Sanders, C. E. (2004). Chapter 1—What is bullying? In C. E. Sanders & G. D. Phye (Eds.), Bullying (pp. 1–16). Academic.
Santurio, J. I. M., Fernandez-Rio, J., Estrada, J. A. C., & Gonzalez-Villora, S. (2021). Bullying, basic psychological needs, responsibility and life satisfaction: Connections and profiles in adolescents. Anales de Psicología, 37(1), 133–141. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.414191
Savahl, S., Montserrat, C., Casas, F., Adams, S., Tiliouine, H., Benninger, E., et al. (2019). Children’s experiences of bullying victimization and the influence on their subjective Well-being: A multinational comparison. Child Development, 90(2), 414–431. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13135
Seals, D., & Young, J. (2003). Bullying and victimization: Prevalence and relationship to gender, grade level, ethnicity, self-esteem, and depression. Adolescence, 38(152), 735.
Sîrbu, I. T. (2019). The impact of the gender factor on the prevalence of bullying from schools in Oradea. Romanian Journal of School Psychology, 12(24), 46–51.
Slovak, K., & Singer, M. I. (2002). Children and violence: Findings and implications from a rural community. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 19(1), 35–56. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1014003306441
Smith, P. K. (2004). Bullying: Recent developments. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 9(3), 98–103. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-3588.2004.00089.x
Smokowski, P. R., Cotter, K. L., Robertson, C., & Guo, S. (2013). Demographic, psychological, and school environment correlates of bullying victimization and school hassles in rural youth. Journal of Criminology, 2013, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/137583
Sutton, J., Smith, P. K., & Swettenham, J. (1999). Bullying and ‘theory of mind’: A critique of the ‘social skills deficit’ view of anti-social behaviour. Social Development, 8(1), 117–127. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9507.00083
Tiliouine, H. (2014). School bullying victimisation and subjective Well-being in Algeria. Child Indicators Research, 8(1), 133–150. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-014-9286-y
Tocai, I. (2017). Studiu sociologic asupra fenomenului de bullying școlar efectuat în județul Bihor. University of Oradea.
Turner, M. G., Exum, M. L., Brame, R., & Holt, T. J. (2013). Bullying victimization and adolescent mental health: General and typological effects across sex. Journal of Criminal Justice, 41(1), 53–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2012.12.005
Vanderbilt, D., & Augustyn, M. (2010). The effects of bullying. Paediatrics and Child Health, 20(7), 315–320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paed.2010.03.008
Varela, J. J., Guzmán, J., Alfaro, J., & Reyes, F. (2018). Bullying. Applied Research in Quality of Life. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-018-9610-7
Varela, J. J., Savahl, S., Adams, S., & Reyes, F. (2020). Examining the relationship among bullying, school climate and adolescent Well-being in Chile and South Africa: A cross cultural comparison. Child Indicators Research, 13(3), 819–838. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-019-09648-0
Wolke, D., Woods, S., Stanford, K., & Schulz, H. (2001). Bullying and victimization of primary school children in England and Germany: Prevalence and school factors. British Journal of Psychology, 92(4), 673–696. https://doi.org/10.1348/000712601162419
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Bălțătescu, S., Sîrbu, I., Bacter, C., Lazăr, A. (2022). Victimization by Peers and Subjective Well-being of Romanian School Children. In: Tiliouine, H., Benatuil, D., Lau, M.K.W. (eds) Handbook of Children’s Risk, Vulnerability and Quality of Life. International Handbooks of Quality-of-Life. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-01783-4_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-01783-4_15
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-01782-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-01783-4
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)