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Background: Research has shown a direct path between peer victimization and poor mental health outcomes. However, the impact of bullying prevention on mental health is a largely unexplored field. Therefore, our study examined the longitudinal association between bullying development and trajectories of psychiatric symptoms (emotional problems, total difficulties, nonsuicidal self-injury, and suicidality) and health-related quality of life (HRQL) during the implementation of school-based bullying prevention. Methods: Data of 4,873 pupils (grades 5-13) were collected in 23 schools implementing the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP). Self-report questionnaires were administered at three annual assessment waves and individual codes enabled the association of repeated assessments to the same pupil. Latent growth curve models (LGCMs) were used to examine the relation among bullying status and mental health outcome with mixed-effects linear regressions estimating the association of changes in bullying with changes in continuous scores and mixed-effects logistic regressions for categorical variables. Results: Latent growth curve models revealed an improvement of mental health and HRQL through the termination of bullying for every outcome variable of interest (all p < .001). Correspondingly, we found an explicit increase in psychopathology as well as decrease in HRQL within one year as a result of developing victimization (all p < .001). Interestingly, the growth of psychopathology associated with the onset of bullying was significantly steeper than its decline associated with the termination of bullying. The postulated cumulative effect of ongoing bullying for a further year could only be shown for HRQL (p = .025) and total difficulties (p = .034), but not for specific mental health problems (all p > .117). Conclusions: Latent growth curve models clearly showed that the adverse psychosocial consequences of bullying arise quickly but seem to reduce much slower and partly persist over time. Future long-term studies are necessary to clarify if mental health problems will return to baseline after several years or if residual symptoms will remain.

Bullying is a common and significant risk factor for mental and physical health problems. The aim of the outlined study was to evaluate the German version of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) and to investigate potential moderators of its effectiveness. 23 schools started with the implementation and all students were invited to complete the Olweus Bullying Questionnaire annually. For our analyses, the data from grades 5 to 9 were used (t0: n = 5759; t1: n = 5416; t2: n = 4894). 16 out of the 23 schools completed the 18-months implementation period. The effectiveness of the program statistically depended on its complete implementation (χ2(2) = 7.62, p = 0.022). In the group of non-completers, the prevalence of victimization did not change during the observation period of 2 years (χ2(2) = 4.64, p = 0.099). In the group of the completer schools, a significant decrease in bullying between t0 and t1 was found for victims (t0: 9.14%; t1: 6.87%; OR = 0.74; 95% CI 0.62–0.88; p = 0.001) and perpetrators (t0: 6.16%; t1: 4.42%; OR = 0.70; 95% CI 0.55–0.89; p = 0.004). After 24 months (t2), this decrease could be retained (victims: t2: 6.83%; OR = 0.73; 95%CI = 0.61–0.88; p = 0.001; perpetrators: t2: 4.63%; OR = 0.72; 95% CI 0.57–0.92; p = 0.009). Furthermore, we found the following moderators of program effectiveness in the completer schools: (1) gender (with a stronger decrease among victimized girls; p = 0.004) and (2) school grade (with a stronger decrease of victimization among grades 5–7; p = 0.028). The German version of the OBPP significantly reduced the bullying prevalence in the completer schools. Effective prevention needs time and resources: fulfilling the 18-months implementation period was the basis for positive results.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to examine whether (a) cyberbullying has unique associations with mental health problems, risk-taking, and self-harm behavior in victims and perpetrators when compared to school bullying and (b) if cyberbullying is associated with an additional burden for students already involved in school bullying. Methods: Data were collected from 6,561 students across 23 schools in Germany (grades 5–13). The sample was divided into the following four groups: cyber-only involvement (victims = 1.9%, perpetrators = 0.6%), school-only involvement (victims = 17.2%, perpetrators = 11.9%), dual involvement (victims = 5.7%, perpetrators = 2.9%), and noninvolvement (victims = 75.3%, perpetrators = 84.6%). Multilevel mixed-effects regression analysis was conducted to examine group differences in mental health (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, KIDSCREEN-10), risk-taking, and self-harm behavior (e.g., substance use, suicide attempts). Results: Cyber-only bullying had unique associations with mental health problems and risk-taking behavior in victims (lower levels of peer relationship problems: p < 0.001, greater substance use: p < 0.05) and perpetrators (higher levels of peer relationship problems: p < 0.05) when compared to school-only bullying. Dual victims and perpetrators reported significantly more mental health problems (victims: χ2(5) = 221.58, p < 0.001; perpetrators: χ2(5) = 116.40, p < 0.001) and were more likely to report risk-taking and self-harm behavior (victims: χ2(7) = 115.15, p < 0.001; perpetrators: χ2(7) = 38.79, p < 0.001) than students involved in school-only bullying. Conclusion: Cyber-only bullying appears to be related to specific mental health issues beyond those associated with school-only bullying. Cyberbullying and school bullying go along with additive mental health problems, risk-taking, and self-harm behavior in both victims and perpetrators. Thus, bullying prevention and intervention programs should also target cyberbullying.

Fragestellung: Alpträume können bei Kindern, wie auch bei Erwachsenen, als Symptom für eine Traumatisierung gelten. Daher ist zu vermuten, dass bei traumatisierten Kindern und Jugendlichen die Alptraumbelastung höher ist als bei nicht traumatisierten Kindern und Jugendlichen. Methodik: Insgesamt nahmen 38 traumatisierte und 40 nicht traumatisierte Kinder und Jugendliche an der Untersuchung teil. Anhand eines Fragebogens wurde die Alptraumbelastung (u. a. die Alptraumhäufigkeit und die empfundene Intensität) erfasst. Ergebnisse: Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass traumatisierte Kinder und Jugendliche signifikant mehr Alpträume berichten (9.7 Alpträume pro Monat) und diese als intensiver und furchtauslösender bewerten als die Teilnehmer der Kontrollgruppe (1.7 Alpträume pro Monat). Die Anzahl der Alpträume bei traumatisierten Mädchen ist im Vergleich zu der Anzahl der Alpträume bei traumatisierten Jungen doppelt so hoch. Zudem geben traumatisierte Kinder und Jugendliche signifikant häufiger an, Angst vor einer Traumwiederholung zu haben, sich während des Alptraums hilflos und sich am Tag durch den Traum nachhaltig beeinträchtigt zu fühlen. Schlussfolgerung: Patienten mit einer Traumatisierung erleben in ihren Träumen mehr Gewalt und Lebensbedrohung. Eine erhöhte Alptraumbelastung ist damit auch bei Kindern und Jugendlichen ein Merkmal einer vorausgegangenen Traumatisierung.

Nightmares may be seen as a symptom of traumatization in both children and adults. Nightmares are assumed to be more frequent and more distressing among traumatized children and adolescents than among those without trauma. A total of 38 traumatized and 40 nontraumatized children and adolescents were surveyed.Nightmare-induced stress was measured with a questionnaire comprised of nine items (some of which concerned nightmare frequency and perceived intensity).Traumatized children and adolescents overall report a significantly higher number of nightmares, which they perceive in a more intense and frightening way than their control group counterparts. Traumatized children and adolescents reported an average of 9.7 nightmares per month compared to 1.7 in nontraumatized participants. The number of nightmares in traumatized girls was twice that in traumatized boys.Traumatized children and adolescents report fears of dream repetitions as well as feelings of helplessness during the nightmares and are thus influenced during the daytime significantly more often. Traumatized patients have more life-threatening and violent dreams. An increased frequency of nightmare and distress is also a specific feature in traumatized children and adolescents.Fragestellung: Alpträume können bei Kindern, wie auch bei Erwachsenen, als Symptom für eine Traumatisierung gelten. Daher ist zu vermuten, dass bei traumatisierten Kindern und Jugendlichen die Alptraumbelastung höher ist als bei nicht traumatisierten Kindern und Jugendlichen. Methodik: Insgesamt nahmen 38 traumatisierte und 40 nicht traumatisierte Kinder und Jugendliche an der Untersuchung teil. Anhand eines Fragebogens wurde die Alptraumbelastung (u. a. die Alptraumhäufigkeit und die empfundene Intensität) erfasst. Ergebnisse: Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass traumatisierte Kinder und Jugendliche signifikant mehr Alpträume berichten (9.7 Alpträume pro Monat) und diese als intensiver und furchtauslösender bewerten als die Teilnehmer der Kontrollgruppe (1.7 Alpträume pro Monat). Die Anzahl der Alpträume bei traumatisierten Mädchen ist im Vergleich zu der Anzahl der Alpträume bei traumatisierten Jungen doppelt so hoch. Zudem geben traumatisierte Kinder und Jugendliche signifikant häufiger an, Angst vor einer Traumwiederholung zu haben, sich während des Alptraums hilflos und sich am Tag durch den Traum nachhaltig beeinträchtigt zu fühlen. Schlussfolgerung: Patienten mit einer Traumatisierung erleben in ihren Träumen mehr Gewalt und Lebensbedrohung. Eine erhöhte Alptraumbelastung ist damit auch bei Kindern und Jugendlichen ein Merkmal einer vorausgegangenen Traumatisierung.