Having been bullied in childhood: Relationship to aggressive behaviour in adulthood

Randy A Sansone, Justin S Leung and Michael W Wiederman

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2013, vol. 59, issue 8, 824-826

Abstract: Aims: Victimization through being bullied in childhood is traditionally associated with subsequent internalizing symptoms, but some literature suggests otherwise. In this study, we examined a history of being bullied in relationship to 21 externalized aggressive behaviours in adulthood. Methods: Using a cross-sectional approach and a self-report survey methodology, we examined a history of being bullied in childhood in relation to 21 aggression variables in a consecutive sample of 342 internal medicine outpatients. Results: In comparison with the not bullied, participants who reported having been bullied in childhood had a statistically significantly greater overall number of self-reported aggressive behaviours. Longer duration of being bullied was statistically significantly correlated with a greater number of reported aggressive behaviours. With regard to individual behaviours, four were statistically significantly associated with being bullied: hitting walls; intentionally breaking things; getting into fist fights; and pushing/shoving a partner. Conclusions: While relationships between bullying in childhood and subsequent internalizing symptoms have been well established, the present study indicates that bullying in childhood is also associated with externalizing/aggressive behaviours in adulthood.

Keywords: Aggression; bully; bully victim; bullying; externalizing behaviour (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:59:y:2013:i:8:p:824-826

DOI: 10.1177/0020764012456814

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