Bullying and depression among primary school children

Cilj rada je bio istražiti odnos međuvršnjačkog nasilja i depresivnosti učenika viših razreda osnovne škole. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 299 učenika (161 djevojčica i 138 dječaka) polaznika 5. do 8.razreda osnovne škole. Izloženost nasilju među vršnjacima i vršenje nasilja ispitano je pomoću Olweusovog Upitnika nasilnik/žrtva, a depresivnost Ljestvicom dječje depresivnosti Kovacs (CDI). Za svakog učenika izračunat je indeks izloženosti nasilju te indeks vršenja nasilja nad vršnjacima, te su učenici podijeljeni u 4 kategorije ovisno o svojoj ulozi u nasilju: nasilnici, žrtve, žrtve/nasilnici te neuključeni učenici. U istraživanju je dobivena značajna pozitivna povezanost između izloženosti nasilju i depresivnosti, kao i između vršenja nasilja nad vršnjacima i depresivnosti. Rezultati depresivnosti u ovisnosti o ulozi učenika u međuvršnjačkom nasilju su pokazali kako su djeca nasilnici značajno depresivnija od skupine neuključene djece u nasilje. Također, djeca koja su istodobno nasilnici i žrtve su značajno depresivnija od skupine neuključene djece u nasilje kao i djece žrtvi međuvršnjačkog nasilja, što je u skladu s očekivanjima. Razlike u depresivnosti između skupine neuključene djece i žrtvi nije utvrđena iako se značajna razlika očekivala.The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between school bullying and depression among the children in higher grades of primary school (from grade 5th to 8th). Participants were 299 primary school students (161 girls and 138 boys). The Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire has been used to assess both the index of children's exposure to bullying and the index of bullying other children of the same age, so the students have been divided into 4 categories depending on the part they have taken in the act of bullying: bullies, victims, bully/victims and the students who are not included. The rate of depression was assessed by the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) questionnaire. This research indicates that there was positive correlation between being exposed to bullying and depression, as well as the correlation between bullying others of the same age and depression. The results of depression depending on the student's part taken in the act of bullying indicated that the children who were bullies were also more depressed than the group of children who were not included in the violent activities. Moreover, children who were at the same time bullies and victims were considerably more depressed than the group of children who were not included in the violence activities. Contrary to the hypothesis there were no difference in depression between the group of children not included in the violence activities and the victims