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Bullying and Its Effects on Middle School Students in Romania: A Quantitative Approach
Open accessAbstract
Bullying, especially in the context of digitalization, is a global issue that can significantly impact students’ educational and personal development. Our research analyzed the complex and multi-faceted phenomenon of bullying, its prevalence, and its effect on students in middle schools in Craiova, Romania. A quantitative approach was applied using the adopted Save the Children Romania and Olweus questionnaires to a sample of 673 middle school students. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Version 23, employing ANOVA tests, Pearson correlations, and Chi-square tests, as well as descriptive statistics. Contrary to previous research, our findings indicate that gender (r = 0.041) and academic performance did not significantly predict bullying victimization or aggression (p = 0.079). However, we found that the academic performance of students who witnessed bullying incidents was significantly affected. Interestingly, the descriptive statistics showed that boys reported higher rates of bullying involvement. Additionally, social support (−0.148) and the school environment emerged as important factors in bullying prevention. These unexpected results highlight the contextual and cultural specificity of bullying. We encourage further research to better understand this nuanced and complex phenomenon, focusing not only on victims but also on bystanders. Addressing bullying requires a comprehensive approach to promote a healthy learning environment for all students.
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“Furthermore, perceived support from teachers, peers, and family emerged as a crucial protective factor.”
From Prevalence of Fashion Bullying in Lower Secondary Education: Evidence from Two Urban Romanian Schools (2025) · cites this paper as Iordache et al., 2025
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“In contrast, exposure to bullying as a bystander was associated with lower academic performance, suggesting that the negative consequences of bullying extend beyond those directly involved and impact the overall school climate.”
From Prevalence of Fashion Bullying in Lower Secondary Education: Evidence from Two Urban Romanian Schools (2025) · cites this paper as Iordache et al., 2025
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“The study conducted by Iordache et al. (2025) among lower-secondary students found that academic performance was not a significant predictor of involvement in bullying, either as a victim or as a perpetrator, and that gender differences were only weakly correlated with the phenomenon.”
From Prevalence of Fashion Bullying in Lower Secondary Education: Evidence from Two Urban Romanian Schools (2025) · cites this paper as Iordache et al., 2025
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Metadata
- Authors
- Iordache, M., Claudiu, C., Bucs, A., Banca, A., & Motoi, G.
- Affiliations
- West University of Timişoara (RO)
- Faculty of Sociology and Communication, University of Transilvania, 500036 Brașov, Romania
- University of Craiova (RO)
- Venue
- Education Sciences
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2025-05-18
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 617
- ISSN
- 2227-7102 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4410523659
- Cited by
- 2
- References
- 57
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1
- FWCI
- 2.22
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Education Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Workplace Violence and Bullying
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Education for Peace and Conflict Resolution
- Keywords
- bullying, junior high school students, bullying victimization, bullying perpetration, bystanders, academic performance, social support, school environment, gender differences, bullying prevention, Craiova
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