Adolescent non-suicidal self-injury and its relationships with school bullying and peer rejection

Psychiatry Res. 2019 Apr:274:1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.02.018. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Abstract

The central goal of this study was to examine the associations of school bullying and peer rejection with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), as well as their interactive role in a sample of non-clinical adolescents. Six hundred and forty adolescents (253 Males, Mage = 15.60, SD = 1.65) self-reported measures of school bullying and NSSI and provided sociometric ratings of peer rejection. The results showed that being involved in bullying (as bullies, victims, or bully-victims) increases the likelihood to engage in NSSI; being rejected by peers amplifies the probability, for victims and bully-victims, of using NSSI at least once. The findings support the hypothesis that peer relationships play a key-role in determining NSSI and the importance to implement programs aimed to improve the school climate in order to avoid maladjusted behaviors in adolescence.

Keywords: Adolescence; Bullying roles; Non-suicidal self-injury; Peer rejection; School bullying; School victimization.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior / psychology*
  • Bullying / psychology*
  • Crime Victims / psychology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Male
  • Peer Group*
  • Psychological Distance*
  • Self Report
  • Self-Injurious Behavior / diagnosis
  • Self-Injurious Behavior / psychology*
  • Students / psychology*