Bullying and Harassment in Relation to Mental Health: A Closer Focus on Education System

Abstract

This study is aimed at assessing whether the effects of the coeducation system reflect upon the mental health of postgraduate level female students. The relationship of bullying and sexual harassment with mental health regarding coeducation and sing-sex learning institutes and gender was specifically explored. A total of 610 male and female students from postgraduate level with the age range of 18-25 years selected from single-sex and coeducation institutes from Haripur, Mansehra, and Abbottabad cities participated in the study.  Findings of the study suggested that female students from coeducation settings are frequently exposed to aggressive behaviours by their classmates and teachers. Rates of physical abuse and psychological abuse were 28% and 84%, respectively in this study sample. Correlation analysis indicated a significant negative correlation between scores of participants on the mental health inventory (Veit; Ware, 1983) and adopted version of the Bullying and Harassment scale (Espelage & Holt, 2001). Studying gender base difference, it was found that female students to be more victims of harassment and bullying in a coeducation setting as compared to sing sex education institutes. Whereas females from both education systems were less mentally healthy as compared to male students.