Electronic Bullying and School Absenteeism: Evidence from the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Purpose: This research examines the relationship between school absenteeism and electronic bullying, which has become increasingly common, especially among adolescents.

Methods: This multivariate, multinomial regression analysis used data from the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The dependent variable is how often students were absent in the last month due to feeling unsafe at school. The responses were categorized into four groups: zero days, one day, two to three days, and four or more days absent per month. The model included a number of control variables including demographic characteristics, physical and behavioral health outcomes, as well as certain risk factors. Data were multiply imputed to address missingness among indepent variables.

Results: Electronic bullying was significantly associated with missing days of school in all outcome categories. The relative risk for missing one day of school was 1.77 times higher for those who experienced electronic bullying in the past year than those who did not. The relative risk for missing two to three days of school per month increased significantly by a factor of 2.08. After controlling for all other covariates, the relative risk for missing four or more days of school per month increased significantly by a factor of 1.77.

Conclusion: Electronic bullying’s detrimental association with school absenteeism among high school students places it among already recognized negative influences, such as depression and binge drinking. This significant association should necessitate the development and implementation of policies and programs within schools in an effort to mediate the harmful effects of electronic bullying on students.