• Jennifer Renda, Suzanne Vassallo, Ben Edwards
• Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health

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11 March 2011There is growing concern about the harmful effects that bullying may have on the health and wellbeing of young people. Studies have examined the impact of bullying on victims, but less is known about the adverse consequences of bullying on the lives of those who bully. Much of what is currently known is based on cross-sectional research, and few prospective studies have examined the short- and long-term consequences of bullying behaviour.

Young people who bully others have been found to be at heightened risk of engaging in subsequent anti-social and criminal behaviour, although only a few longitudinal studies have examined this issue. These results are not surprising given that bullying has been viewed as one manifestation of a broader anti-social behavioural style. Nevertheless, it should be noted that previous studies have predominantly examined only males. Further research examining the long-term impacts of bullying perpetration for both males and females is needed.

The current paper aimed to redress this research gap by examining the longterm outcomes of bullying perpetration among a community sample of Australian males and females whose development had been followed from infancy into early adulthood. It aimed to examine the association between bullying behaviour at age 13–14 years and anti-social behaviour, criminal violence and self-reported contact with police or courts 6 and 10 years later (at ages 19–20 and 23–24 years). We adjusted for factors in adolescence known to be associated with these outcomes, namely: association with deviant peers, parental monitoring and harsh discipline, parental substance use and parental age, occupational status and highest level of completed education. Gender differences in the relationship between bullying and subsequent anti-social behaviour were also examined.