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School Echoes at University: Past Bullying Experience and Current Well-Being among University Students
Purpose: To investigate past school bullying experience regarding current well-being among the university students.
Methodology: Based on the social-ecological approach, this study investigates the links between past experience of participating in bullying in different roles and the current well-being of university students as a special group of emerging adults, using a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the responses of 274 university students.
Findings: Quantitative analysis shows that current level of anxiety in close relationships significantly differs depending on the frequency of past bullying encounters; the level of avoidance in close relationships and depression differ depending on the role played in the past. Qualitative analysis also confirms that past bullying encounters may impact further self-reported problems in social functioning and health. Bullying experience does not pass without a trace for the victims, bullies, or bystanders. It is found a connection between the positive assessment of the school climate and the current level of authentic living among the university students.
Originality: School bullying among adolescents is a common problem all over the world, but its consequences after school graduation are rarely considered, especially when combining qualitative and quantitative methods. The university environment, as well as the school environment, can be supportive and friendly, but it can also be disjointed and rejecting, provoking loneliness and competition, and the issue of continuity between the two educational environments is important for the well-being of young people.