Bullying behaviours and other conduct problems: longitudinal investigation of their independent associations with risk factors and later outcomes
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Volume
56
Pagination
2041 - 2052
Publisher
Publisher URL
DOI
10.1007/s00127-021-02062-4
Journal
SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHIATRIC EPIDEMIOLOGY
Issue
ISSN
0933-7954
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Purpose Bullying behaviours and other conduct problems often co-occur. However, we do not yet know whether bullying
behaviours are associated with early factors and later poor outcomes independently of conduct problems. While there are
difering, specifc interventions for bullying behaviours and for conduct problems, it is unclear if such specifcity is justifed
given parallels between both behaviours.
Methods We used prospective data from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally representative sample of 2232 children. Mothers and teachers reported on children’s bullying behaviours and conduct problems
at ages 7 and 10. We collected measures of risk factors, including temperament and family factors, when children were age
5. We assessed behavioural, emotional, educational and social problems when participants reached the ages of 12 and 18.
Results Bullying behaviours and conduct problems co-occurred in childhood. Our fndings indicated that bullying behaviours
and other conduct problems were independently associated with the same risk factors. Furthermore, they were associated with
the same poor outcomes at both ages 12 and 18. Despite this, bullying behaviours were uniquely associated with behavioural,
emotional, educational and social problems at age 18.
Conclusions Our fndings suggest that anti-bullying programmes and interventions aimed at reducing conduct problems
could beneft from greater integration. Furthermore, our study highlights the mental health problems children who bully
may face in later years and the need to consider those in intervention plans.
Authors
Ganesan, K; Shakoor, S; Wertz, J; Agnew-Blais, J; Bowes, L; Jaffee, SR; Matthews, T; Arseneault, LCollections
- Centre for Psychiatry [838]