Prevalence of bullying in primary schools of Baghdad, Iraq

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of bullying among primary schools’ children with some associated factors, and resultant effects. Methodology: This cross-sectional study with analytic elements was carried out from February through April 2022. It included a sample of 410 students from six governmental primary schools from both sides of Baghdad city. A self-constructed questionnaire was used. It comprised the following parts: Part (1): socio-demographic data, Part (2): questions that review the students’ exposure to bullying, and Part (3) entails the effects of bullying on those children. Results: The total sample was composed of 410 students; their mean age was 9.51±1.94 years. The prevalence of bullying was 56.34%. Students who were exposed to bullying had been experiencing symptoms as an abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting before school, then those who were not exposed to bullying. Conclusions: Bulling was occurring as a combination of physical, verbal, emotional & social types, with significant health effects for individuals who experienced these acts.