Correlates of Perceptions of Bullying at School among First Nations Youth Living Off Reserve

Abstract

This study described perceptions of bullying as a school characteristic and associations with school, academic, and health characteristics among a representative sample of First Nations high school students living off reserve in Canada using data from the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey. Almost 4 in 10 of First Nations youth living off reserve perceived bullying as a problem at their schools. A perceived climate of bullying co-occurred with other negative school climate characteristics such as racism, violence, and the presence of alcohol and drugs. First Nations youth living off reserve who perceived bullying as a problem at school reported higher psychological distress and a higher prevalence of suicidal ideation, even after controlling for the effects of youth sex, age, and household income. These findings highlight the need to focus on school characteristics as perceived by youth to improve school climate and youth health.