Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39863846›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Predicting bullying victimization among adolescents using the risk and protective factor framework: a large-scale machine learning approach.

Ethan Low, Joshua Monsen, Lindsay Schow, Rachel Roberts, Lucy Collins, Hayden Johnson, Carl L Hanson, Quinn Snell, E Shannon Tass

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Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Ethan LowComputer Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, 84602, Utah, USA.
Joshua MonsenPublic Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, 84602, Utah, USA.
Lindsay SchowPublic Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, 84602, Utah, USA.
Rachel RobertsPublic Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, 84602, Utah, USA.
Lucy CollinsComputer Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, 84602, Utah, USA.
Hayden JohnsonPublic Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, 84602, Utah, USA.
Carl L Hanson *Public Health, Brigham Young University, Provo, 84602, Utah, USA.
Quinn Snell *Computer Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, 84602, Utah, USA.
E Shannon Tass *Statistics, Brigham Young University, Provo, 84602, Utah, USA. tass@stat.byu.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBullying, encompassing physical, psychological, social, or educational harm, affects approximately 1 in 20 United States teens aged 12-18. The prevalence and impact of bullying, including online bullying, necessitate a deeper understanding of risk and protective factors to enhance prevention efforts. This study investigated the key risk and protective factors most highly associated with adolescent bullying victimization.

methodsData from the Student Health and Risk Prevention (SHARP) survey, collected from 345,506 student respondents in Utah from 2009 to 2021, were analyzed using a machine learning approach. The survey included 135 questions assessing demographics, health outcomes, and adolescent risk and protective factors. LightGBM was used to create the model, achieving 70% accuracy, and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) values were utilized to interpret model predictions and to identify risk and protective predictors most highly associated with bullying victimization.

resultsYounger grade levels, feeling left out, and family issues (severity and frequent arguments, family member insulting each other, and family drug use) are strongly associated with increased bullying victimization - whether in person or online. Gender analysis showed that for male and females, family issues and hating school were most highly predictive. Online bullying victimization was most highly associated with early onset of drinking.

conclusionsThis study provides a risk and protective factor profile for adolescent bullying victimization. Key risk and protective factors were identified across demographics with findings underscoring the important role of family relationships, social inclusion, and demographic variables in bullying victimization. These resulting risk and protective factor profiles emphasize the need for prevention programming that addresses family dynamics and social support. Future research should expand to diverse geographical areas and include longitudinal data to better understand causal relationships.

Indexed as

BullyingCrime VictimsMachine LearningAdolescentChildFemaleHumansMaleProtective FactorsRisk FactorsStudentsSurveys and QuestionnairesUtahAdolescentsBullying victimizationMachine learningRisk and prevention

Identifiers

PMID39863846
PMCPMC11762141

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.