Factors associated with bullying victimization among adolescents joining public secondary schools in Nairobi county Kenya: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUNDBullying victimization in adolescence exposes young people to both short- and long-term mental health problems. These include depression and suicidality, whose prevalence has been on the rise around the world. Bullying, though officially banned in Kenyan secondary schools since 2013, has remained ubiquitous to the present day. This study aimed to elucidate the factors associated with bullying victimization among adolescents joining Form one at public secondary schools in Nairobi County, Kenya.METHODOLOGYThis was an analytical cross-sectional design. Data were collected one month after the adolescents had joined secondary school. Data was collected from 539 adolescents attending 5 schools using the self-reported Adolescent Peer Relations questionnaire to assess bullying victimization as well as socio-demographic characteristics. Prevalence rates were generated using a generalized linear model (GLM) customized with a log link and a Poisson distribution for a common binary outcome.RESULTSIn the univariable analysis, 85.7% (n=462) reported experiencing any bullying victimization. Of those who had depression, 93.5% (n=220) had experienced bullying victimization. The difference in prevalence rates between those who were depressed and those who weren’t was statistically significant in the multivariable analysis (adjusted prevalence rate, aPR=1.33; 95%CI=1.05-1.68, p=0.033). Boys were more likely to experience physical victimization compared to girls (aPR=1.27; 95%CI=1.02-1.58, p=0.031).CONCLUSIONThe prevalence of bullying victimization is quite high, and the presence of depression and sex are significant factors associated with the risk of bullying victimization. Anti-bullying interventions in secondary schools should include a component of depression screening and treatment.