Identifying the relationship between recreation engagement, bullying, and suicidality in high school students

Abstract

Bullying is prevalent among adolescents causing significant impacts to adolescent health. Engaging in recreation provides an opportunity for positive health outcomes. This study examined associations among adolescent sex and sexual identity, recreation engagement, bullying, and suicidality. The findings from this paper support that suicidality during adolescence remains elevated. Results demonstrated that cyberbullying is more prevalent than in-person bullying but neither form of bullying influenced suicidality for high school students. Recreation engagement did not show a significant interaction with suicidality, but high school students did report a reduction in recreation engagement. Findings suggest that prevention efforts and further research are needed to minimize the high prevalence of bullying behaviors and suicidality during adolescence. In addition, more research is needed to identify programs that can be implemented in schools and communities that provide outlets for adolescents during the adverse experience of being bullied.