Effect of School Bullying on Physical Health, Psychological Wellbeing and self-esteem among Adolescents

Abstract
Background: Bullying, a global public health issue, predominantly affects adolescents during their transition from elementary school, involving repeated aggressive behavior with a power imbalance, and can manifest as physical, verbal, relational, or social aggression. Aim: assess the effect of school bullying on physical health, psychological wellbeing and self-esteem among adolescents. Subjects and Methods: Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Setting: It was conducted in four public schools (two schools for boys and two for girls from preparatory and secondary schools) affiliated to Minia City, Egypt, Subjects: Involving 400 students where one hundred school students were selected randomly from each school. Tools: Data collected through socio demographic tool, the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire, Physical Health Questionnaire (PHQ), Ryff’s psychological well-being scale, and The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Results: More than three quarters of the students studied were bullying victims. Additionally, more than half of the students had low levels of psychological wellbeing and self-esteem. There was a negative correlation between bullying victimization and both psychological wellbeing and self-esteem. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between bullying victimization and various physical symptoms, including headache, sleep disturbance, bed wetting, inability to concentrate on studies, and vomiting. Conclusion: The study reveals that bullying victimization, particularly verbal and cyber bullying, is prevalent among students and is strongly associated with adverse physical symptoms, low self-esteem, and diminished psychological wellbeing. Recommendations: Schools should implement comprehensive anti-bullying policies that include education, support, and prevention strategies to create a safe and inclusive learning environment.