Title : Effects of bullying in school on adolescent mental health: A qualitative and quantitative study in India

Bullying in schools are aggressive behaviours exhibited by school students to express power imbalance. Bullying in school children has a tremendous impact on the mental health of the child. Different types of bullying includes direct verbal and physical bullying, cyber bullying, social bullying, racial bullying etc. The study aims at understanding the impact of bullying on the mental health of the adolescents. Demographic variables to assess the social support, support systems available in school, other means of stress in the students etc will also be obtained. Standardised questionnaires to assess the emotional distress in adolescents including anxiety and depression will be administered. The level of perceived bullying was also assessed. Questionnaires will be administered using online snowball method. Focus group discussion with teachers and students will also be done to obtain qualitative information regarding these variables. Bystander effects of bullying also will be assessed. Non Parametric analysis will be done to evaluate the findings. Preventive measures will also be discussed in the research study.  The implications of the study findings are to help develop a protocol to bring in more awareness about presence of bullying in schools, effects of bullying in the mental health of the adolescent student, and therefore work on the need for structured psychological therapy involving adolescent students who are the victims and bystanders of bullying.

Dr Keerthi Prabhu, MPhil in Clinical psychology from Kasturba Medical College Manipal and PhD from Madras University.  She is Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Mental Health Advisor in Apollo Shine Foundation, Partner in Element H PSS, Guest faculty in Institute of Mental Health Chennai, India Joint secretary of TNACP, Founder member and Vice President South Zone of Clinical Psychology Society of India. She’s certified CBT trainer from CBT Australia. She is trained in DBT, SFBT, MBCT, Grief therapy, IFS and group therapy. Children, adolescent, young adults and senior adults with psychological distress, relational difficulties, personality disorders, giftedness, grief etc consult her.