Commentary: The wars within - uncomfortable truths about the bullying of girls in conflict-affected societies.

Abstract

This commentary reflects on a timely and methodologically significant study by Silwal et al., which investigates bullying victimization among adolescents in conflict-affected Eastern Ukraine. Conducted in a context of fragility, social fragmentation, and resource scarcity, the study offers vital insights into how war and its aftermath shape adolescent experiences. It reveals higher rates of bullying in conflict-affected regions, with girls disproportionately targeted-an uncomfortable finding that challenges conventional gender patterns in bullying. Drawing on emerging evidence, the commentary considers the role of desensitization, emotional regulation, and digital exposure in shaping youth aggression. It also highlights the need to address the structural stressors facing adolescents in both post-conflict and post-migration contexts, particularly within disrupted school systems. In response, the commentary calls for integrated and context-responsive interventions that strengthen emotional and social competencies without reinforcing stigma. It further urges researchers and policymakers to acknowledge the politicized nature of post-migration violence discourse and to maintain commitment to nuanced and context-sensitive analysis. The findings underscore that bullying in such settings is a social indicator of wider systemic pressures-an expression of the hidden wars adolescents carry in their daily lives and into their schools.