STUDENT'S BULLYING AND VICTIMIZATION: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Introduction: Bullying and victimization has received extensive scientific attention during the last years, on a global scale. During the last years, research has focused on the participation of College and University students, who face great risk of being involved in the phenomenon. Aim: The purpose of the present study is to review the existing studies regarding the participation of College and University students in bullying and victimization incidences. Material & Method: This paper is a systematic review study. Initially, the criteria for entry and exclusion were determined, the relevant literature was searched, and then the research was evaluated and selected. Bibliographic sources included Diploma Theses and Doctoral Dissertations, scientific journals, books, conference proceedings, as well as any other scientific publication, either in electronic or printed form. The method used was to search the relevant literature in databases, such as Google Scholar, Pubmed, Medline, CINAHL, IATROTEK and SCOPUS. In addition, the ECB conducted a search for doctoral dissertations related to the subject. Results: According to the results, most studies published during 1980-2000 regard other types of aggression, while abundant research has been published since 2001 regarding bullying and victimization among College and University students. Many of the aforementioned studies aim in the investigation of participants’ profile, as well as in the investigation of the related risk factors. Furthermore, many studies regard the participation of Health professional students, especially Nurses, since the phenomenon is frequent among these professional groups, mainly due to the existing strict hierarchy. Without adequate support, bullying and victimization experiences may contribute to the manifestation of psychosomatic problems, self-destruction tendencies, apathy, passive aggression, anxiety, insomnia, substance abuse and social relation problems. Conclusion: Health professionals have a pivotal role in the prevention and intervention of bullying and victimization incidences, especially in Primary and Secondary educational settings, since they are important members of the interdisciplinary team responsible for the development and implementation of prevention and intervention programs