Examining the Social Context of Bullying Behaviors in Early Adolescence

TLDR

The study examined how family, adult, peer, and contextual factors correlate with bullying behavior in 558 middle school students. Among the students, 19.5% reported no bullying, while parental physical discipline, unsupervised time, negative peer influences, and unsafe neighborhoods were linked to higher bullying, whereas positive adult role models were linked to lower bullying, suggesting counselors should target these social risk factors.

Abstract

Familial and adult influences, peer relations, and distal contextual factors were tested as correlates of a continuous measure of bullying behavior within a sample of 558 middle school students. Only 19.5% of the sample reported exhibiting no bullying behavior in the past 30 days. Parental physical discipline, time spent without adult supervision, negative peer influences, and neighborhood safety concerns were each positively associated with bullying behavior. In contrast, positive adult role models were associated with less bullying behavior. Results suggest that counselors should focus prevention and intervention efforts on the risk factors within the larger social context of an adolescent's life.