The mental health effects of bullying on primary school children

Abstract

Bullying is defined as the repeated and deliberate act of inflicting harm on others by another person or group. It is characterized by a power imbalance and is often directed at those who are in a less advantageous position. There is high evidence that bullying is causing mental health issues and that there is a higher percentage of bullying in primary schools than in post- primary or secondary schools. This study is aimed at raising more awareness of the mental health impact that bullying has on primary school children. The research question is: What are the mental health issues encountered by children who suffer from bullying in primary school? The studied population (P) were primary school children. The exposure (E) was the bullying, and the outcome (O) was the mental health issues caused by the bullying. The PEO question was used to identify the key terms and create alternative terms and phrases. The application of Boolean operators was used to combine the key terms, and filters were used to narrow down the search done on the HyDI database. PRISMA 2020 was used for the selection strategy to finalize the five articles used in this study. The CEBMa, CASP, and BMJ critical appraisal tools were used. The final five studies include a meta-analysis, two cohort studies, and two cross-sectional studies. Consistency in prevalence and impacts was present in the studies. This study identified evidence of moderate rates of bullying in primary school children and the mental health effects caused by it. It was advised that ongoing research by experts be kept up and that the general population be made aware of bullying.