Peer-reviewed article

Patterns of peer bullying among adolescents: the role of BMI and socioeconomic factors - a cross-sectional study in Turkey.

Eren Güzeloğlu, Belen Ateş, Emine Gözde Ozdrama Yildiz, Sevilay Kök, Hüseyin Dağ et al. · 10 Aug 2026

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Peer bullying represent significant public health challenges with profound implications for adolescent psychosocial development. This study investigates the frequency of traditional and cyberbullying among adolescents, specifically examining how BMI and socioeconomic factors predict victimization risk and frequency. This study aimed to determine the frequency of peerbullying among school-aged children and adolescents and to examine the predictive impact of body mass index (BMI) and socioeconomic factors on victimization. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 330 Turkish adolescents aged 10-17 years of school-aged children and adolescents. Data were collected using the 9-item Child-Adolescent Bullying Scale (CABS-9) - Short Form along with a demographic information form. BMI was calculated based on height and weight measurements. Statistical analysis included regression models to determine the variance explained by BMI. RESULTS: The prevalence of peer bullying was found to be 42.1 %, while cyberbullying prevalence was 12.7 %. Male gender, lower socioeconomic status, and younger age (specifically 4th-grade students) were identified as significant risk factors. BMI accounted for 17.5 % of the variance in bullying victimization (R2=0.175), with overweight and obese participants reporting significantly higher victimization scores (19.12 ± 6.15) compared to their normal-weight peers (13.50 ± 3.85). Verbal bullying (mocking and ridiculing) was the most frequent (33.9 %). CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that bullying frequency in this sample exceeds global averages but aligns with regional trends in high- frequency areas. The significant predictive power of BMI suggests that physical appearance remains a primary catalyst for peer exclusion and mockery. These results underscore the urgent need for early-intervention programs, starting in primary school, that focus on body positivity, self-esteem enhancement, and the social integration of economically disadvantaged students.