Adolescent bullying linked to depression and antisocial behaviours

Students bullied in Year 10 have been found to have an almost two-fold increase in likelihood of depressive symptoms in Year 11. And Year 10 students who admitted to bullying others were found to have a two-fold increase in likelihood of theft, violent behaviour and binge drinking in Year 11.

The new study, published in a special issue of Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health on bullying, draws on data from the International Youth Development Study, a longitudinal study of 5,769 students from Victoria, Australia, and Washington State, United States. Students participating in the study completed up to six annual surveys. The study asked 700 Victorian students in Years 7, 10 and 11 about their experience as either perpetrators or victims of bullying, and is part of an ongoing collaboration between the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, University of Washington, the University of Melbourne, Deakin University and the Centre for Adolescent Health at The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne.

The longitudinal study found that rates of bullying victimisation exceeded 30 per cent and that up to 20 per cent of students surveyed had engaged in bullying perpetration. More boys than girls engaged in bullying perpetration, although the rate of bullying victimisation was similar for boys and girls.

Lead researcher Dr Sheryl Hemphill, who completed this work at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, said the study showed that both bullying perpetration and victimisation in Year 10 were associated with deleterious adolescent behaviours in Year 11. Surprisingly, the study did not show a strong association for such behaviours among Year 7 students.

“Prevention approaches which target bullying perpetration and victimisation, particularly among older students, may have a positive impact on other related behaviours, including binge drinking, violent behaviour, and depression,” Dr Hemphill said.

It is hoped the study will help focus attention on the delivery of evidence-based anti-bullying programs in schools that are effective in reducing the incidence of bullying and may also prevent other deleterious outcomes for adolescents.

The findings of this Victorian study will contribute to a larger meta-analysis combining the results of several studies to consider the consequences of bullying.

(Source: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute: Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health)