Non-Disclosure and Suicidal Ideation in Adolescent Victims of Bullying: An Analysis from the Family and School Context

In recent years, suicide rates among bullying victims have raised much concern among educators and health professionals. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of preventable death among adolescents, data that warn about the need to monitor the signs before victims' suicidal behavior to prevent this fatal outcome. In the present study, the role of victims' silence about their victimization situation was analysed, as well as the particular impact of family and school environments. More specifically, we examined the mediating role of the victim's non-disclosure between the parental styles (observing the father's and mother's roles separately) and the school climate, concerning suicidal ideation in victims. The sample consisted of 2,977 adolescents (48.5% boys), aged 11-17 years (M = 14.1, SD = 1.42), of whom 635 (21.3%) reported having been victims of bullying in the past year. The results showed that parental styles of rejection and indifference were positively related to victims' non-disclosure of bullying and suicidal ideation. Conversely, a positive school climate showed a negative relationship with victims' disclosure of the bullying situation and suicidal ideation. The findings also indicated that non-disclosure mediates the relationship between the mother's parental style and suicidal ideation. These findings expand knowledge about the role of bullying victims' social context and the variable disclosure with regards to suicidal ideation in adolescents victimized by peers at school.

Automated summary

In recent years, the high suicide rates among victims of bullying have become a major concern. Suicide is a leading cause of preventable death among adolescents, emphasizing the importance of identifying signs of suicidal behavior in victims. This study examined the impact of victims' silence and the role of family and school environments. The results showed that parental rejection and indifference were linked to victims' non-disclosure and suicidal ideation, while a positive school climate had a negative relationship with disclosure and ideation. Non-disclosure was found to mediate the relationship between the mother's parenting style and suicidal ideation. These findings contribute to our understanding of the social context and disclosure in relation to suicidal thoughts among adolescents who experience bullying.