Bullying in University Students: Examining the Effects on Mental Health and Academic Success

Bullying is a significant global public health concern with detrimental consequences, particularly in university settings. This study presents, for the first time, comprehensive data aimed to investigate bullying behaviors among Bangladeshi university students including the severity of bullying, associated mental health concerns, and various factors of bullying. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 7011 university students in Bangladesh. Participants completed a specially designed bullying survey, which included a bullying scale to measure the severity of bullying. Additionally, two psychological measures Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used to assess anxiety and depression respectively. Among the sample of 4985 male students, 52.07% reported experiencing moderate bullying. In contrast, female students most commonly reported mild bullying, with a prevalence of 37.12%. Female students experienced significantly higher levels of bullying overall, with a mean score difference of 0.497 compared to male students. Furthermore, female students exhibited a higher prevalence of severe bullying incidents compared to their male counterparts. The most frequently identified type of bullying was verbal bullying, reported by 85.55% of students. Furthermore, 4.43% of participants indicated experiences of sexual harassment. There is a significant association between bullying and anxiety or depression. The study identified an association between bullying and mental health issues, particularly anxiety and depression, among students. Additionally, bullying was found to have a negative impact on academic performance. The findings highlight the need for implementing various policies within universities to address and mitigate bullying incidents effectively.