Co-occurring cyber and in-person victimisation of bullying and sexual harassment: the associations to depressive symptoms in Swedish adolescents
Abstract Background Poor mental health has increased among adolescents in recent decades. Bullying and sexual harassment, both cyber and in-person, are each associated with increased depressive symptoms in adolescents and being victimised by co-occurring types is more common than just one single typ...
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2025-02-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21989-w |
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| author | Albin Dahlström Heléne Dahlqvist Katja Gillander Gådin |
| author_facet | Albin Dahlström Heléne Dahlqvist Katja Gillander Gådin |
| author_sort | Albin Dahlström |
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| description | Abstract Background Poor mental health has increased among adolescents in recent decades. Bullying and sexual harassment, both cyber and in-person, are each associated with increased depressive symptoms in adolescents and being victimised by co-occurring types is more common than just one single type of victimisation. The study aimed to investigate the association between co-occurring victimisation and depressive symptoms in adolescents when controlling for screen time, social support, physical activity, and personal relative affluence. Method Cross-sectional survey data from 1211 respondents (50.1% girls) aged 15–16 were used to conduct modified Poisson regression with robust error variance analyses for girls and boys separately. Four scales were used to measure cyber and in-person bullying and sexual harassment, and CESD-R10 was used to measure depressive symptoms. Results About 47% of girls and 20% of boys experienced all four types of victimisation, and about 12% of girls and 25% of boys experienced none of them. When controlled for all included variables, all number of victimisation types of bullying and/or sexual harassment were associated with depressive symptoms in girls. In comparison, only four types of victimisation were associated with depressive symptoms in boys. Conclusions The study showed that co-occurring victimisation was associated with depressive symptoms even after controlling for other relevant factors in both genders. However, in girls, all numbers of victimisation were associated with depressive symptoms. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e8945adb72cd49f6a65f342bf80248e7 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-e8945adb72cd49f6a65f342bf80248e72025-08-20T02:01:42ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-02-0125111110.1186/s12889-025-21989-wCo-occurring cyber and in-person victimisation of bullying and sexual harassment: the associations to depressive symptoms in Swedish adolescentsAlbin Dahlström0Heléne Dahlqvist1Katja Gillander Gådin2Department of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden UniversityDepartment of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden UniversityDepartment of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden UniversityAbstract Background Poor mental health has increased among adolescents in recent decades. Bullying and sexual harassment, both cyber and in-person, are each associated with increased depressive symptoms in adolescents and being victimised by co-occurring types is more common than just one single type of victimisation. The study aimed to investigate the association between co-occurring victimisation and depressive symptoms in adolescents when controlling for screen time, social support, physical activity, and personal relative affluence. Method Cross-sectional survey data from 1211 respondents (50.1% girls) aged 15–16 were used to conduct modified Poisson regression with robust error variance analyses for girls and boys separately. Four scales were used to measure cyber and in-person bullying and sexual harassment, and CESD-R10 was used to measure depressive symptoms. Results About 47% of girls and 20% of boys experienced all four types of victimisation, and about 12% of girls and 25% of boys experienced none of them. When controlled for all included variables, all number of victimisation types of bullying and/or sexual harassment were associated with depressive symptoms in girls. In comparison, only four types of victimisation were associated with depressive symptoms in boys. Conclusions The study showed that co-occurring victimisation was associated with depressive symptoms even after controlling for other relevant factors in both genders. However, in girls, all numbers of victimisation were associated with depressive symptoms.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21989-wMental healthBullyingSexual harassmentAdolescenceDepressive symptoms |
| spellingShingle | Albin Dahlström Heléne Dahlqvist Katja Gillander Gådin Co-occurring cyber and in-person victimisation of bullying and sexual harassment: the associations to depressive symptoms in Swedish adolescents BMC Public Health Mental health Bullying Sexual harassment Adolescence Depressive symptoms |
| title | Co-occurring cyber and in-person victimisation of bullying and sexual harassment: the associations to depressive symptoms in Swedish adolescents |
| title_full | Co-occurring cyber and in-person victimisation of bullying and sexual harassment: the associations to depressive symptoms in Swedish adolescents |
| title_fullStr | Co-occurring cyber and in-person victimisation of bullying and sexual harassment: the associations to depressive symptoms in Swedish adolescents |
| title_full_unstemmed | Co-occurring cyber and in-person victimisation of bullying and sexual harassment: the associations to depressive symptoms in Swedish adolescents |
| title_short | Co-occurring cyber and in-person victimisation of bullying and sexual harassment: the associations to depressive symptoms in Swedish adolescents |
| title_sort | co occurring cyber and in person victimisation of bullying and sexual harassment the associations to depressive symptoms in swedish adolescents |
| topic | Mental health Bullying Sexual harassment Adolescence Depressive symptoms |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21989-w |
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