Teens with close friends and positive attitude avoid being or becoming a bully, new study finds

Teenagers with close friends and a positive attitude to school are less likely to be bullied or become a bully, a new study has found.

Teenagers with close friends and a positive attitude to school are less likely to be bullied or become a bully, a new study has found.

An Australian survey of more than 3000 girls and boys shows the odds of being bullied is halved for those with strong friendships and positive attitudes and the odds of being a bully is reduced by 60 per cent.

Similarly, those whose friends engage in high levels of risky behaviour such smoking and drinking underage are twice as likely to be bullied and be a bully, the Australian Institute of Family Studies study shows.

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Good friendships protect against bullying so Annabelle Olive, 12, and Charlotte Downs, 13 are looking out for each other. Picture: Alex Coppel

The data also shows one in five teenagers aged 14 to 15 was a victim of bulling in the past month. Five per cent of girls and ten per cent of boys say they have bullied someone else in the last month and six per cent say they are both a bully and have been bullied.

“The research found the most common act of bullying was someone saying mean things or name-calling,” AIFS executive manager, Galina Daraganova said.

“Boys were more likely than girls to experience physical aggression such as being hit or kicked on purpose while girls were more likely to experience social exclusion.

“Peer relationships are very important in adolescence as young people begin to rely less on parents and more on their peers for social and emotional support. Positive peer relationships can promote wellbeing and prevent the development of mental health issues,” Dr Daraganova said.

In the report lead author Sarah Gray said bullying is “a major source of stress arising from adolescents’ interactions and relationships with their peers, and a major public health concern facing schools and policymakers”.

“Understanding who adolescents choose to spend their time with can help to understand their own attitudes and behaviours,” she said.

The Raising Children Network (raisingchildren.net.au) suggests parents whose children are being bullied should listen to the child, agree there is an issue, avoid negative judgments and talk privately with the teacher to resolve the issue.

If parents discover their child is a bully, they can talk about the issue at home, explain what bullying is, help them understand how their behaviour affects others, work with the school and think about why the bullying is happening.

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