Bullying Behaviors among Adolescents about their Self-Esteem

Objective: To assess bullying behaviors among adolescent students in Babylon, identify the self-esteem levels of adolescents who bully, and investigate the associations between bullying behaviors and self-esteem levels among adolescents. Methods and Materials: A cross-sectional descriptive design for a period from October 19th, 2024, to January 2025. Two hundred sixty-five pupils from eight intermediate schools in the Al-Hilla Directorate were chosen using a simple random stratified sample procedure. Data were collected through interviews using an instrument and analyzed using SPSS version 22, applying both descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings: The results showed the assessment levels of bullying behaviors among 265 adolescents were at a moderate level (37.4%) with (M.S = 2.05 ± 0.116). The self-esteem level among participants was neutral (61.5%), with a mean score of 2.09 ± 0.276. Additionally, a highly significant negative correlation was found between bullying behavior and self-esteem (p = 0.002, Spearman’s rho = -0.192). Conclusion: The general assessment of bullying behaviors among adolescents was at a moderate level. The adolescents' self-esteem was at a neutral level, also demonstrating a highly significant negative correlation between bullying behavior and self-esteem among adolescents. Accordingly, the study recommended that a comprehensive approach, combining school policies, family, peer involvement, and community collaboration, is necessary to reduce bullying behaviors and improve self-esteem among adolescents.