Associations Between School Victimization, Perceived Family Functioning, and Suicidal Behavior in Peruvian Adolescents

Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2026 Sep 1:207640261480716. doi: 10.1177/00207640261480716. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Adolescence is considered a period of heightened risk for suicidal behavior (SB), and previous studies suggest that bullying experiences (BE) and family functioning (FF) are important associated factors. This study examined the associations of BE and FF with SB in adolescents. A total of 468 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years participated in the study (50.8% female; M = 14.4, SD = 1.6). The European Bullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (EBIPQ), the Family APGAR Questionnaire, and the abbreviated Suicidal Behavior Assessment Scale (SENTIA-Brief) were administered. School victimization was positively associated with SB with a moderate magnitude (β = .45, p < .001), whereas FF showed a small inverse association with SB (β = -.24, p < .001); together, both variables accounted for 30.3% of its variability. The two variables were also negatively related to each other (β = -.19, p < .01). Additional findings revealed differences according to sex and history of psychological care: males and adolescents without previous psychological care showed stronger associations between victimization and SB. The results suggest partial consistency with certain assumptions of Joiner’s interpersonal theory of suicide, providing evidence that proxy contextual variables, namely victimization and family dysfunction, are associated with suicidal behavior. However, the use of indirect indicators, the cross-sectional design, and the lack of measurement of acquired capability limit the evaluation of the model as a whole and preclude the establishment of temporal directionality or causality.

PMID:42678011 | DOI:10.1177/00207640261480716