Author(s): JIMÉNEZ-LOAISA, A., BELTRÁN-CARRILLO, V.J., GONZÁLEZ-CUTRE, D., VALENCIANO-VALCÁRCEL, J., LEÓN-ZARCEÑO, E., Institution: UNIVERSITY OF CASTILLA-LA MANCHA, Country: SPAIN, Abstract-ID: 1084

Introduction
Bullying victimization is defined as a situation in which a student is frequently and intentionally attacked by one or several students, who are in a position of power in comparison with the victim. Prior research has shown that students who are bullied suffer multiple negative consequences that affect their proper development and well-being (e.g., social isolation, anxiety, lower school performance). Physical education and sports are sensitive spaces where these negative outcomes can worsen, especially during adolescence. However, no previous studies have systematically analyzed the set of variables linked to physical education and sports that could predispose an adolescent to be a victim of bullying. This correlational study addresses this gap. Concretely, we examine the associations between bullying victimization and several variables related to adolescents’ age, gender, physical fitness, and sedentary and physical activity.
Methods
A total of 289 adolescents (152 boys and 137 girls; Mage = 13.98 years, SD = 1.28) from a secondary Spanish school completed the Adolescent Peer Relations Instrument (APRI questionnaire) to assess the frequency they experienced bullying victimization. Adolescents also completed several measures to assess their aerobic fitness (multistage 20-meter shuttle run test), strength (manual dynamometer), agility and movement skills (CAMSA test) and body mass index. Sedentary and physical activity were measured with accelerometers. Pearson’s correlations were calculated to test the associations among these variables. A hierarchical regression analysis with bullying victimization as dependent variable was also performed. Age, gender (0 = male, 1 = female), and physical fitness were introduced as independent variables in a first model. Physical activity was added in a second model.
Results
Correlation analyses showed that bullying victimization was negatively associated with age (r = -.15, p = .010), aerobic fitness (r = -.17, p = .003), and strength (r = -.15, p = .013), and positively with sedentary activity (r = .26, p = .004). Results of the hierarchical regression analyses showed that the explained variance (adjusted R2) for the second model (.232) was greater than that found in the first model (.051). Specifically, the second model showed that gender (β = -.49, p < .001) and aerobic fitness (β = -.32, p < .01) negatively predicted bullying victimization, and sedentary activity (β = .33, p < .001) positively predicted it.
Conclusion
Bullying victimization could be greater among boys, and in those adolescents with lower aerobic fitness and higher sedentary activity. Physical education and sport educators could consider these findings to promote more respectful and inclusive environments during their interventions. More studies exploring the association between bullying victimization and other “vulnerable characteristics” (e.g., socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity) are pertinent.