Evaluation of the relationship between peer bullying and alexithymia in high school students

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine peer bullying and alexithymia in adolescents and to evaluate the relationship between them. Methods: This cross-sectional prospective study was conducted on 300 9th and 10th grade students studying at Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School and Bolu İzzet Baysal Anatolian High School between 10.05.2023 and 9.06.2023. In the study, a sociodemographic survey form, Olweus Bullying Questionnaire and 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) were conducted face to face to the participants. Results: It was determined that 8.2% of the students in our study were bullies, 18.2% were victims, 9.6% were bully-victims, and 64% were neither bullies nor victims. Female students were found to have higher alexithymia levels than males (p<0.05), and the father's education level was found to be related to the alexithymia level (p<0.05). The participants' willingness to come to school was related to their bullying status and alexithymia levels (p<0.05). It was observed that participants who felt more unhappy at school were more likely to experience peer bullying and had higher alexithymia levels (p<0.05). It was observed that students with higher alexithymia scores were more absent (p<0.05) and those with low school grades were more exposed to peer bullying (p<0.05). The participants' alexithymia levels were found to be related to both their bullying and being bullied experiences (p<0.05). Conclusions: The study found that there was a significant relationship between the participants' alexithymia levels and peer bullying situations. Required training should be given in high schools to prevent peer bullying, and the necessary support and treatments should be planned for individuals showing alexithymic characteristics. Keywords: Bullying, Alexithymia, Aggression