ABSTRACT
Background: Bullying affects students' academic performance and well-being, making it a serious concern in educational environments. Developing successful intervention measures requires an understanding of the prevalence of bullying behaviors as well as the underlying causes that contribute to them. This study assessed the prevalence, pattern, and determinants of bullying among secondary school students in Benin City. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among secondary school students in Benin City from December 2022 to December 2023. A multistage sampling technique was utilized to select 905 participants for the study. Data was collected from respondents using interviewer– based questionnaire containing both open ended and close ended questions. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version . The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Ethical approval was obtained from Ethics and Research Committee, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). Results: A total 905 out of 920 questionnaires administered were retrieved and analysed, giving a response rate of 98.4%. There were 440 (48.6%) male respondents and 465 (51.4%) female respondents with mean age of 14.28 ± 2.26 years. The study revealed that 815 (90.0%) of respondents were aware of bullying. However, two-third of the respondents, 547 (67.1%) had poor knowledge of bullying. Being ≥ 13 years (AOR = 0.428, 95% CI = 0.292 – 0.626, p < 0.001) and senior secondary (AOR = 4.240, 95% CI = 2.529 – 7.109, p <0.001) were significant determinants of good knowledge. Only a few respondents, 96 (11.8%), had an overall supportive attitude toward xvi bullying. Being in public schools (AOR= 4.002, 95% CI = 2.312 – 6.930, p<0.001), non-Christian (AOR = 0.293, 95% CI = 0.171 – 0.505, p = <0.001), household size ≥ 6 (AOR= 2.593, 95% CI = 1.482 – 4.538, p=0.001) were significant predictors of supportive attitude towards bullying. Majority of them 612 (67.6%) had been victim of bullying. Respondents from public schools (AOR = 1.742, 95% CI = 1.216 – 2.498, p = 0.003), respondents who resided with a single parent (AOR = 0.401, 95% CI = 0.185 – 0.869, p = 0.021), not married parents (AOR = 1.686, 95% CI = 1.171 – 2.427, p = 0.005) were significant determinants of being victim of bullying. Four hundred and six (44.9%) had been perpetrators of bullying. Female (AOR =0.694, 95% CI = 0.508 – 0.947, p= 0.021), Senior secondary school (AOR =0.558, 95% CI = 0.399 – 0.781, p= 0.001), not married (AOR =1.474, 95% CI = 1.038 – 2.092, p= 0.030), polygamous families (AOR =1.586, 95% CI = 1.023 – 2.458, p= 0.039), residing with a singles parent (AOR = 0.480, 95% CI = 0.253 – 0.912, p = 0.025) were significant predictors of been perpetrators of bullying. Conclusion: The study showed that majority of the respondents were aware of bullying nevertheless more than half of them have poor knowledge of bullying. There was a high prevalence of being victims and perpetrators of bullying. The state government should implement comprehensive anti-bullying education programs in secondary schools, invest in mental health services, collaborate with private institutions, and promote parental involvement. School authorities should develop policies, support systems, and invest in training. Students should foster a positive school culture, participate in anti-bullying education programs, and report bullying incidents. Keywords: Bullying, knowledge of bullying, forms of bullying, prevalence of bullying, bullying in schools.
