Bullying, Self-Esteem and Psychological Distress among School Students: A Correlational Study

Abstract

This study's major goal was to study the connection between bullying, self-esteem and psychological distress among school students. To investigate the relationships between the variables, a correlational study approach was used. The non-probability convenience sampling method was used to choose a sample of 300 students, ages 11 to 16. The Distress Questionnaire-5 (Batterham et al., 2016), the Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), and the Multidimensional Bullying Victimization Scale (Harbin, 2016) were used to measure the variables. Data were analyzed using SPSS through Pearson product-moment correlation, linear regression, and independent sample t- tests.  The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between bullying and psychological distress, while bullying was negatively associated with self-esteem. Additionally, self-esteem showed a significant negative relationship with psychological distress. Both bullying and self-esteem significantly predicted psychological distress. The demographics such as age, gender, education, school type, socioeconomic status, birth order and family system were also examined for their influence on the variables. However, findings showed no significant differences between male and female students in terms of bullying, self-esteem, or psychological distress. The implications of these findings highlight the need for school-based intervention programs that focus on anti-bullying strategies and self-esteem enhancement. These initiatives can help mitigate psychological distress among students and foster a more supportive and emotionally healthy school climate.