A study of over 4000 Aotearoa 15-year olds has looked at possible risk factors for bullying victimisation, including school competitiveness, social media use, and parental support. Students with a sense of belonging were less likely to be bullied both directly and indirectly, while having parental support was strongly associated with lower direct victimisation. Classroom disorder and competitive schools were linked to greater risk of being bullied. The authors say more longitudinal research is needed to better understand these risk factors, so that schools and policymakers are better informed when using interventions designed to reduce bullying behaviour.
