Bullying perpetration and victimization as predictors of delinquency and depression in the Pittsburgh Youth Study
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/17596591111132882 |
| Published date | 16 May 2011 |
| Date | 16 May 2011 |
| Pages | 74-81 |
| Author | David P. Farrington,Rolf Loeber,Rebecca Stallings,Maria M. Ttofi |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Sociology |
Bullying perpetration and victimization as
predictors of delinquency and depression
in the Pittsburgh Youth Study
David P. Farrington, Rolf Loeber, Rebecca Stallings and Maria M. Ttofi
Abstract
Purpose – School bullying is an important social problem with serious consequences. Many studies
suggest that involvement in bullying (as a perpetrator or a victim) is associated with undesirable
short-term effects on the physical and psychological health of children and with undesirable long-term
effects on their future psychosocial adjustment as adults. The purpose of this paper is to investigate
whether bullying perpetration predicts later criminal offending and whether bullying victimization
predicts later depression.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyses data from the Pittsburgh Youth Study in which
503 boys who were originally assessed at age 6-7 years have been followed up to age 19, with yearly or
half-yearly assessments.
Findings – Bullying perpetration in one age range, according to boys and mothers, predicted
delinquency (reported by boys) in a later age range, and this relationship held up after controlling for ten
major risk factors measured in an earlier age range. Bullying perpetration, according to boys, was the
stronger predictor of delinquency. Bullying victimization (being bullied) in one age range predicted
depression (reported by boys, mothers and teachers) in a later age range, and this relationship also held
up after controlling for ten earlier risk factors. Bullying victimization according to mothers was the
stronger predictor of depression.
Originality/value – The paper provides useful evidence which leads to the conclusion that bullying
perpetration is followed by an increased risk of delinquency,and that bullying victimization is followed by
an increased risk of depression.
Keywords Depression, Bullying, Boys, Youth, United States of America
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
School bullying is an important social problem with serious consequences. Many studies
suggest that involvement in bullying (as a perpetrator or a victim) is associated with
undesirable short-term effects on the physical and psychological health of children and with
undesirable long-term effects on their future psychosocial adjustment as adults (Ttofi and
Farrington, 2008, 2010). In particular, it has been argued that bullying perpetration predicts
later criminal offending and that bullying victimization predicts later depression (Farrington
and Ttofi, 2011; Kaltiala-Heino et al., 1999).
It is less clear, however, whether there is any causal effect of bullying and victimization on
later offending and depression. Bullying may predict delinquency because both are
behavioural manifestations of the same underlying construct such as an antisocial
personality. Similarly, victimization may predict depression because both are symptoms of
the same underlying internalizing disorder.To the extent that this is true, the predictive power
of the earlier variable should extend over long time intervals.
Alternatively, bullying may be an early stage in a developmental or causal sequence that
leads to delinquency,and similarly victimizationmay be an early stage in a developmental or
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JOURNALOF AGGRESSION, CONFLICTAND PEACE RESEARCH
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VOL. 3 NO. 2 2011, pp. 74-81, QEmerald GroupPublishing Limited,ISSN 1759-6599 DOI 10.1108/17596591111132882
David P.Farrington is based
at the Institute of
Criminology, Cambridge
University, Cambridge, UK.
Rolf Loeber and
Rebecca Stallings are
based at the Life History
Studies, Western
Psychiatric Institute and
Clinic, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, USA.
Maria M. Ttofi is based at
the Institute of Criminology,
Cambridge University,
Cambridge, UK.
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