PREVALENCE OF BULLYING VICTIMIZATION AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN TEENAGERS ENROLLED IN SCHOOL IN AN EDUCATIVE INSTITUTION FROM CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA (IN SPANISH)

Introduction: bullying, school abuse or school aggression between peers is a very common phenomenon worldwide, with various indicated causes and it has variable prevalence that oscillates between 6.3 and 41.4%. It is more frequent between 11 and 13 years of age. Association between school intimidation and depression, low selfesteem, dissatisfaction with the life and perception of unfavorable school climate has been reported. Objective: to determine the prevalence of victimization by school aggression between peers and associated factors in teenagers enrolled in school. Methods: cross sectional and observational study carried out with various validated instruments of screening in teenagers enrolled in school between 6º - 11º year in an educative institution of secondary school, of private character, in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, in 2013. There were assessed: school climate, self-esteem, depressive symptoms of clinical importance, psychological discomfort and dissatisfaction with life. Multivariate analysis by means of non-conditional logistic regression was done. The statistical analysis was carried out by means of the statistical programs Epi Info 7 and Stata 11. Results: 257 students were assessed, 135 (52.2%) were men and 122 (47.5%) were women. The average age was 13.6±1.9 years. The prevalence of victimization by school aggression between peers was: 20.2% (CI95%:15.5-25.6%). Significant association was found with age equal or lower to 13 years: OR:1.96 (CI95%:1.01- 3.82), male gender: OR:2.46 (CI95%:1.25-4.84) and with low self-esteem: OR:2.64 (CI95%:1.25- 5.59). There were not significant association with perception of unfavorable school climate, presence of depressive symptoms with clinical importance, psychological discomfort and dissatisfaction with life. Conclusions: the prevalence of victimization by school aggression between peers was frequent and similar to those results reported in studies carried out in other Colombian and outside regions. Rev.cienc.biomed.2014;5(2):227-234. KEYWORDS Aggression, Bullying, Violence, Adolescent