A Prospective and Repeat Cross-Sectional Study of Bullying Victimization among Adolescents from before COVID-19 to the Two School Years Following the Pandemic Onset

Abstract

We examined bullying victimization spanning from before the pandemic to the two school years post COVID-19 onset in adolescents. We used survey data from Canadian secondary school students collected during the 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22 academic years. Generalized Estimating Equations models were used to estimate the population average odds of past 30-day bullying victimization by other students, using both longitudinal (N = 3716) and repeat cross-sectional (N = 23,862; 19,413; 21,897) data. The odds of bullying victimization were lower in 2020-21 and higher in 2021-22 relative to 2019-20. Elevated odds of bullying victimization were found among gender diverse, higher weight, and relatively less affluent students. While remote schooling during the pandemic may have provided a reprieve for some students, bullying appears to have rebounded with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions to exceed pre-pandemic levels. More effective strategies are essential to prevent bullying and improve school contexts for equity denied populations.