A Prospective and Repeat Cross-Sectional Study of Bullying Victimization Among Adolescents From Before COVID-19 to the Two School Years Following the Pandemic Onset

We examined bullying victimization spanning from before the pandemic to the two school years post COVID-19 onset in adolescents. We used survey data from Canadian secondary school students collected during the 2019–20, 2020–21, and 2021–22 academic years. Generalized Estimating Equations models were used to estimate the population average odds of past 30-day bullying victimization by other students, using both longitudinal (N = 3716) and repeat cross-sectional (N = 23,862; 19,413; 21,897) data. The odds of bullying victimization were lower in 2020–21 and higher in 2021–22 relative to 2019–20. Elevated odds of bullying victimization were found among gender diverse, higher weight, and relatively less affluent students. While remote schooling during the pandemic may have provided a reprieve for some students, bullying appears to have rebounded with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions to exceed pre-pandemic levels. More effective strategies are essential to prevent bullying and improve school contexts for equity denied populations.