Negative Correlation Between School Bullying and Multi-Dimensional Health in Adolescent Female Migrants: A Digital Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) Study

Yueping Song¹Yifei Li¹Kai Zhou^2*Jia Tang^1*Xumeng Chen³Gaowang Liu^4*

• ¹Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
• ²Policy Research Center for Environment and Economy，Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, Beijing, China
• ³People’s Hospital of Deyang City, Deyang, Sichuan Province, China
• ⁴Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China

School bullying poses significant risks to both the physiological and psychological health of female adolescents, especially during their critical developmental period and under conditions of population mobility. This study investigates the specific correlations between bullying exposure and multi-dimensional health outcomes among female high school students aged 15 to 18 years in China. Data were derived from a longitudinal observational cohort, including clinical records from a hospital in eastern China and structured survey assessments. Participants were randomly selected at the individual student level within sampled classes. We introduced a novel digital visual analogue scale (VAS) to quantify psychological tendencies such as depressive symptoms, sleep disturbances, and learning inefficiency, alongside physiological indicators including menstrual irregularities and electrophysiological variations (EEG, ECG). Comparison across five groupsmultiple, violent, verbal, and social bullying, plus a non-bullied control group-revealed that students subjected to violent and multiple bullying exhibited markedly higher levels of physiological dysfunction and psychological distress. Verbal and social bullying also correlated with increased psychological symptoms, albeit to a lesser extent. The severity of bullying showed a positive association with elevated VAS scores, underscoring the scale's sensitivity. These findings highlight the profound impact of school bullying on female adolescents' health during a vulnerable growth stage and emphasize the urgent need for targeted early detection and intervention strategies. The digital VAS developed herein offers a practical tool for educators and clinicians to monitor and address these adverse outcomes effectively.