Adults who say they bullied others when they were adolescents may have a higher likelihood of engaging in criminal behavior later in life, according to new research from UT Dallas.
The study, which appeared in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, examined data gathered on a group of more than 400 men over the course of several decades.
"This is the largest long-term study of bullying behavior," said Dr. Nadine Connell, assistant professor of criminology and co-author of the paper. "This is important because it helps us gauge whether bullying is a risk factor for determining continued adverse behavior well into late-middle adulthood."
The authors looked at a data set of men in their mid-50s who had grown up with similar backgrounds in Britain. All came from comparable, working-class socio-economic backgrounds, typically from two-parent families.
Of those who reported that they bullied others as teenagers, nearly half went on to engage in some form of criminal behavior including theft, burglary and assault.
"We also found that these men were more likely to be repeat offenders and at a much higher rate," said Dr. Alex Piquero, Ashbel Smith Professor of Criminology at UT Dallas and co-author of the study.
Although much needed attention has been given to victims of bullying, this research indicates that early intervention on behalf of children who are at risk of exhibiting bullying behavior may also stem the tide of criminal behavior years down the road.
Source: MedicalXpress
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-links-adolescent-bullies-criminal-behavior.html