Bullying and Delinquency in Adolescence: Victims’ and Perpetrators’ Family and Peer Relations
Abstract
This study investigated (a) the prevalence and co-occurrence of various victimisation and violence experiences among adolescents and examined (b) the quality of peer and family relationships of victims and perpetrators of bullying and violent delinquency. Self-report questionnaires were completed by 1107 Swiss adolescents (grades 7 and 9). Frequency of involvement in bully/victim problems and delinquency was used to classify pupils. Bullies and bully-victims were often also victims and/or perpetrators of violent delinquency. Sex and school type effects were found regarding involvement in bully/victim problems and delinquency. Pupils who were bullied reported lower peer acceptance than bullies and non-involved pupils. Bullies as well as perpetrators and victims of violent delinquency reported lower family support than non-involved adolescents. Implications for prevention and intervention are discussed.
References
Al-Diban, S. (2000). Über den Zusammenhang von Körperkonzept, Selbstkonzept und Gewalt [Associations between body image, self esteem and violence]. Psychosozial, 79(1), 29– 42Alsaker, F. D., Brunner, A. (1999). Bully/victim problems in Swiss schools. In P. K. Smith, Y. Morita, J. Junger-Tas, D. Olweus, R. Catalano, & R. Slee (Eds.), The nature of school bullying. A cross-national perspective (1-25). London: RoutledgeAlsaker, F. D., Valkanover, S. (2001). Early diagnosis and prevention of victimization in kindergarten. In J. Juvonen & S. Graham (Eds.), Peer harassment in school: The plight of the vulnerable and victimized (175-195). New York: GuilfordBaldry, A. C., Farrington, D. P. (2000). Bullies and delinquents: Personal characteristics and parental styles. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 10(1), 17– 31Bjarnason, T., Sigurdardottir, T. J., Thorlindsson, T. (1999). Human agency, capable guardians, and structural constraints: A lifestyle approach to the study of violent victimization. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 28(1), 105– 119Boulton, M. J., Trueman, M., Chau, C., Whitehand, C., Amatya, K. (1999). Concurrent and longitudinal links between friendship and peer victimization: Implications for befriending interventions. Journal of Adolescence, 22(4), 461– 466Bowers, L., Smith, P. K., Binney, V. (1994). Perceived family relationships of bullies, victims and bully/victims in middle childhood. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 11(2), 215– 232Browne, K., Falshaw, L. (1998). Street children and crime in the UK: A case of abuse and neglec. Child Abuse Review, 7(4), 241– 253Cairns, R. B., Cadwallader, T. W., Estell, D., Neckermann, H. J. (1997). Groups to gangs: Developmental and criminological perspectives and relevance for prevention. In D. M. Stoff, J. Breiling, & J. D. Maser (Eds.), Handbook of antisocial behavior (194-204). New York: WileyCairns, R. B., Cairns, B. D., Neckerman, H. J., Gest, S. D. (1988). Social networks and aggressive behavior: Peer support or peer rejection?. Developmental Psychology, 24(6), 815– 823Crick, N. R., Nelson, D. A., Morales, J. R., Cullerton-Sen, C., Casas, J. F., Hickman, S. E. (2001). Relational victimization in childhood and adolescence: I hurt you through the grapevine. In S. Graham & J. Juvonen (Ed.), Peer harassment in school: The plight of the vulnerable and victimized (196-214). New York: GuilfordDuncan, R. D. (2004). The impact of family relationships on school bullies and their victims. In D. L. Espelage & S. M. Swearer (Eds.), Bullying in American school (227-244). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence ErlbaumEisner, M., Manzoni, P., Ribeaud, D. (2000). Gewalterfahrungen von Jugendlichen. Opfererfahrungen und selbstberichtete Gewalt bei Schülerinnen und Schülern im Kanton Zürich [Violence in youth: Victimisation experiences and self-reported violence in pupils of the Canton Zurich]. Aarau, Switzerland: SauerländerEsbensen, F. A., Huizinga, D. (1991). Juvenile victimization and delinquency. Youth and Society, 23(2), 202– 228Espelage, D. L., Bosworth, K., Simon, T. R. (2000). Examining the social context of bullying behaviors in early adolescence. Journal of Counseling and Development, 78(3), 326– 333Eye, A. v. (2002). Configural frequency analysis methods, models, and applications. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence ErlbaumFunk, W. (1995). Nürnberger Schüler-Studie 1994: Gewalt an Schulen [Study on pupils of Nurnberg 1994: Violence in schools]. (Vol. 373). Regensburg, Germany: RodererGarofalo, J., Siegel, L., Laub, J. (1987). School-related victimizations among adolescents: An analysis of National Crime Survey (NCS) narratives. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 321– 338Hämäläinen, M., Pulkkinen, L. (1995). Aggressive and non-prosocial behaviour as precursors of criminality. Studies on Crime and Crime Prevention, 4(1), 6– 21Hodges, E. V. E., Boivin, M., Vitaro, F., Bukowski, W. M. (1999). The power of friendship: Protection against an escalating cycle of peer victimization. Developmental Psychology, 35(1), 94– 101Hodges, E. V. E., Malone, M. J., Perry, D. G. (1997). Individual risk and social risk as interacting determinants of victimization in the peer group. Developmental Psychology, 33(6), 1032– 1039Holmes, S. R., Brandenburg Ayres, S. J. (1998). Bullying behavior in school: A predictor of later gang involvement. Journal of Gang Research, 5(2), 1– 6Hyde, J. S. (198). How large are gender differences in aggression? A developmental meta-analysis. Developmental Psychology, 20(4), 722– 736Jensen, G. F., Brownfield, D. (1986). Gender, lifestyles, and victimization: Beyond routine activity. Violence and Victims, 1(2), 85– 99Karatzias, A., Power, K. G., Swanson, V. (2002). Bullying and victimisation in Scottish secondary schools: Same or separate entities?. Aggressive Behavior, 28(1), 45– 61Lauritsen, J. L., Sampson, R. J., Laub, J. (1991). The link between offending and victimization among adolescents. Criminology, 29(2), 265– 292Leung, K., Lau, S. (1989). Effects of self-concept and perceived disapproval of delinquent behavior in school children. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 18(4), 345– 359Lewit, E. M., Baker, L. S. (1996). Children as victims of violence. Future of Children, 6(3), 147– 156Lösel, F., Bliesener, T. (2003). Aggression und Delinquenz unter Jugendlichen Untersuchungen von kognitiven und sozialen Bedingungen. [Aggression and delinquency in adolescents: Studies on cognitive and social preconditions]. München, Germany: LuchterhandMalecki, C. K., Demaray, M. K. (2004). The role of social support in the lives of bullies, victims, and bully-victims. In D. L. Espelage & S. M. Swearer (Eds.), Bullying in American schools (211-226). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence ErlbaumMoffitt, T. E. (1993). Adolescence-limited and life-course-persistent antisocial behavior: A developmental taxonomy. Psychological Review, 100(4), 674– 701Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at school: What we know and what we can do. Malden, MA: BlackwellO’Moore, M., Kirkham, C (2001). Self-esteem and its relationship to bullying behaviour. Aggressive Behavior, 27(4), 269– 283Paetsch, J. J., Bertrand, L. D. (1999). Victimization and delinquency among Canadian youth. Adolescence, 34(134), 351– 367Patterson, G. R., DeBaryshe, B. D., Ramsey, E. (1989). A developmental perspective on antisocial behavior. American Psychologist, 44(2), 329– 335Pellegrini, A. D. (1998). Bullies and victims in school: A review and call for research. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 19(2), 165– 176Pellegrini, A. D., Bartini, M., Brooks, F. (1999). School bullies, victims, and aggressive victims: Factors relating to group affiliation and victimization in early adolescence. Journal of Educational Psychology, 91(2), 216– 224Perren, S. (2000). Kindergarten children involved in bullying: Social behavior, peer relationships, and social status. Unpublished Doctoral thesis, University of Berne, SwitzerlandPerren, S., Alsaker, F. (in press). Social behavior and peer relationships of victims, bully-victims, and bullies in kindergarten. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry,Perry, D. G., Hodges, E. V. E., Egan, S. K. (2001). Determinants of chronic victimization by peers: A review and new model of family influence. In J. Juvonen & S. Graham (Eds.), Peer harassment in school: The plight of the vulnerable and victimized (73-104). New York: GuilfordRigby, K. (1994). Psychosocial functioning in families of Australian adolescent schoolchildren involved in bully/victim problems. Journal of Family Therapy, 16(2), 173– 187Rigby, K. (2002). Bullying in childhood. In P. K. Smith & C. H. Hart (Eds.), Blackwell handbook of childhood social development. Blackwell handbooks of developmental psychology (549-568). Malden, MA: BlackwellRodkin, P. C., Farmer, T. W., Pearl, R., Van Acker, R. (2000). Heterogeneity of popular boys: Antisocial and prosocial configurations. Developmental Psychology, 36(1), 14–Salmivalli, C. (1999). Participant role approach to school bullying: Implications for intervention. Journal of Adolescence, 22(4), 453– 459Schuster, B. (1996). Rejection, exclusion, and harassment at work and in school. European Psychologist, 1(4), 293– 309Seydlitz, R., Jenkins, P. (1998). The influence of families, friends, schools, and community on delinquent behavior. In T. P. Gullotta (Ed.), Delinquent violent youth: Theory and interventions (53-97). Thousand Oaks, CA: SageSmith, P. K., Bowers, L., Binney, V., Cowie, H. (1993). Relationships of children involved in bully/victim problems at school. In S. Duck (Ed.), Learning about relationships. Understanding relationship processes series (Vol. 2, 184-204). Thousand Oaks, CA: SageSmith, P. K., Morita, Y., Junger-Tas, J., Olweus, D., Catalano, R., Slee, R. (199). The Nature of School Bullying: A Cross-National Perspective. London: RoutledgeSmith, P. K., Myron Wilson, R. (1998). Parenting and school bullying. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 3(3), 405– 417Stern, S. B., Smith, C. A. (1999). Reciprocal relationships between antisocial behavior and parenting: Implications for delinquency intervention. Families in Society, 80(2), 169– 181Stevens, V., De Bourdeaudhuij, I., Van Oost, P. (2002). Relationship of the family environment to children’s involvement in bully/victim problems at school. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 31(6), 419– 428Stoff, D. M., Breiling, J., Maser, J. D. (1997). Handbook of antisocial behavior. New York: WileyStouthamer Loeber, M., Loeber, R., Wei, E., Rarrington, D. P., Wikstroem, P. O. H. (2002). Risk and promotive effects in the explanation of persistent serious delinquency in boys. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 70(1), 111– 123Trezzi, S. (2004). Opfererfahrungen und Bedrohungsgefühl im Jugendalter [Victimisation experiences and fear of crime in adolescence]. Unpublished Master Thesis, Psychologisches Institut, Universität Zürich, SwitzerlandWilli, M., Hornung, R. (2002). Jugend und Gewalt. Ergebnisse einer Befragung von Schülerinnen und Schülern im Kanton Zug [Youth and violence: Findings of a survey of pupils in the canton Zug]. Bern: Peter Lang