Are Perceived Family-Related Social Support and Paternal Age Associated with Peer Victimization in Secondary Education? A Population-Based Study

Background: Bullying is an important public health issue.We examined perceived family-related social support as a predictor of being a bully, peer victimization, being a bully/victim or an uninvolved pupil.In addition, characteristics of the parental health status and different demographic variables (parental separation, sibling position, death of a parent, parental age, size of the flat) were examined.Methods: Data were obtained through a population-based cross-sectional study of N=3496 children at the age of 12.6. Results:Male pupils show an increase of approximately 40 percentage points in the proportion of the bully and bully/victim groups.Pupils with less perceived family-related social support; pupils who have experienced a family break-up without contact to the separated parent; and pupils with a parent with poor physical or mental health show a significantly higher risk for peer victimization.Pupils with fathers of advanced age display a 41 percentage points higher risk for peer victimization.