Frequent traditional bullying victimization was reported by 20.3 percent of schoolchildren in Chile, while 8.6 percent reported perpetrating bullying behaviors, according to a cross-sectional study. Examining specific participant roles, the researchers found that 15.4 percent of students were classified exclusively as victims, 3.8 percent were classified exclusively as perpetrators, and 4.7 percent were identified as bully-victims who experienced both victimization and perpetration. Among the reported behaviors, verbal ridicule and teasing, rumor spreading, and social exclusion represented the most prevalent forms of bullying observed in the sample.
The investigation assessed a sample of 2,775 Chilean students from 4th to 8th grade attending schools from different socio-economic backgrounds. To measure traditional bullying involvement, the researchers administered the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire-Revised (OBVQ-R), defining traditional involvement as behaviors occurring at least two to three times per month. Cyberbullying was assessed using the Internet Experiences Questionnaire (IEQ), with cyberbullying indicators defined as reporting at least one cyberbullying episode during the school year. Prevalence estimates along with 95 percent confidence intervals were calculated using the Wilson method, and associated factors were evaluated using adjusted logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations that accounted for clustering by school.
The study identified significant demographic and socioeconomic patterns in traditional bullying involvement across the student population. Boys, younger students, and children attending low socio-economic status schools exhibited higher levels of bullying involvement. In their analysis of school contextual factors and student demographics, the investigators observed that both traditional bullying and cyberbullying presented important differences according to participant sex, grade level, and school socio-economic status, with verbal and relational expressions of bullying remaining the most frequent forms.
Regarding digital aggression, cybervictimization and cyberperpetration measured via the Internet Experiences Questionnaire were reported by 8.6 percent and 4.7 percent of students, respectively. The investigators determined that measuring cyberbullying through the dedicated Internet Experiences Questionnaire yielded substantially higher prevalence estimates than the single cyberbullying item embedded within the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire-Revised. This substantial variation according to measurement strategy highlighted the importance of utilizing dedicated instruments when evaluating online aggression among schoolchildren.
Beyond individual and demographic characteristics, the researchers evaluated school climate and school belonging as school contextual factors. More positive school climate and stronger school belonging were consistently associated with lower odds of involvement in both traditional bullying and cyberbullying. The authors noted that bullying and cyberbullying represent important public health concerns associated with adverse emotional, academic, and social outcomes among children and adolescents, while empirical evidence integrating traditional bullying, cyberbullying, socio-economic inequalities, and school context in Chile has been limited. Consequently, school climate and school belonging emerged as potentially modifiable protective factors relevant for school-based bullying prevention initiatives.
Subject of Research: Prevalence and contextual correlates of traditional bullying and cyberbullying among Chilean schoolchildren
Article Title: Traditional bullying and cyberbullying among schoolchildren in Chile: prevalence, socio-economic inequalities, and school contextual factors
Article References: Gaete, J., Arhuis-Inca, W., Bazalar-Palacios, J., Ipanaque-Zapata, M., Carcamo, M., Valenzuela, D., & Araya, R. (2026). Traditional bullying and cyberbullying among schoolchildren in Chile: prevalence, socio-economic inequalities, and school contextual factors. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-29752-5
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-026-29752-5
Keywords: traditional bullying, cyberbullying, schoolchildren, Chile, socioeconomic status, school climate, school belonging, adolescent health, Traditional, bullying, prevalence, socio-economic
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