Consequences of Being Bullied: Results From a Longitudinal Assessment of Bullying Victimization in a Multisite Sample of American Students

• NCJ Number: 241284
• Journal: Youth & Society Volume: 41 Issue: 2 Dated: December 2009 Pages: 209-233
• Author(s): Finn-Aage Esbensen; Dena C. Carson
• Date Published: December 2009
• Length: 25 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2003-JN-FX-0003
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Award: Evaluation of Teens, Crime, and Community Program and Community Works Training

Annotation

In this article the authors utilize a multisite, longitudinal dataset to examine the effects of being bullied.

Abstract

Bullying victimization is part of the adolescent experience in most societies, yet little is known about its consequences. In this article the authors utilize a multisite, longitudinal dataset to examine the effects of being bullied. The authors also explore definitional and measurement issues that confound this line of research. While some researchers have relied on a single/generic item to measure bullying, others have focused on behaviorally specific items. In addition, most prior research on bullying has relied on cross-sectional data, thereby restricting researchers' ability to examine the consequences of prior victimization. Using three waves of data, the authors created a typology of victimization (nonvictims, intermittent victims, and repeat victims) that allowed them to establish correct temporal ordering to examine the effects of victimization on subsequent attitudes. Importantly, the authors assessed the consequences of bullying victimization using both a single-item indicator and a composite measure consisting of behaviorally specific questions. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.