Caracterização de bullying e fatores sociodemográficos em escolas de um município do semiárido paraibano.

Abstract

Throughout history many efforts have been undertaken in order to promote health for adolescents and yet, the policies and programs built around this demographic are threatened by a context of violence within schools. Among the different forms of school violence, bullying has been widely studied because of its serious consequences and the high number of students involved. Understanding bullying and sociodemographic factors related to it contribute to the early identification and control of cases as well as the understanding of its effects caused on victims, and furthermore, it constitutes an aspect of real motivation for the present study. Thus, this study sought to identify bullying in a city school within the semi- arid region of Paraiba. The methodological aspects are permeated within an epidemiological cross-sectional descriptive study and a quantitative approach. The study was held at the State School of Basic Education Monsignor John Milanese, in Cajazeiras, Paraiba, using a population of 242 students who attended elementary school there from 6th to 9th grade. The study sample was initially set to 30% of the general population, selected through the stratified sampling technique followed by the following inclusion criteria: age 10 to 15 years old, consistent with their participation by signing Consent Terms by both students and parents / guardians. Data was collected through a Global-Based Student Survey questionnaire (GSHS) proposed by WHO (2006) and a form in which were recorded anthropometric and hemodynamic measurements made by previously trained staff, as per the Anthropometric Standardization Reference Manual. This study was developed within the research project perspective entitled "Prevalence of Hypertension in a City School Within the Semi-Arid Region of Paraiba", authored by Professor Dr. Maria Oliveira Bezerra, satisfying the ethical observations of Council Resolution 466/12 of the National Health Council (CNS) which regulates research involving human subjects. The results show that most of the students were enrolled in the 6th year of primary education (29.5%), predominantly of age 14 and 15 years old (21.3% each), female (70.5%), naturals of Cajazeiras, Paraiba (78.7%), brown skin color (47.5%), Catholic (70.5%), with family income from 1 to 4 minimum monthly salaries (55.7%), living in an urban area (73.7%), sharing housing between 4 to 6 people (63.3%). It was found that there are bullying among the students aged between 10 and 15 years old in the involved school with a percentage ranging from 1% to 36%. These numbers are similar to those studies developed in several places of Brazil and world, declaring bullying as a kind of school violence increasingly common. In this context, the implementation of new health policies that effectively reduce the prevalence and incidence of bullying in the school population, are public health measures of high value for the twenty-first century.