Anthony Peguero
Associate Professor Of Sociology And Criminology, Virginia Tech
Key Findings
- Adolescents who were victims of bullying were more likely to be associated with delinquent behaviors later in life.
- Aggression was a significant mediating factor for adolescents that were victims of bullying and delinquency.
- Aggression was also a strong predictor of substance use and low academic performance.
Description
In the article, “From Bullying Victimization to Delinquency in South Korean Adolescents: Exploring the Pathways Using a Nationally Representative Sample,” Peguero and his co-authors examine the relationship between South Korean adolescents that had been bullied and their delinquency outcomes. The researchers wanted to determine how substance use and aggression impact victimized students to support or prevent delinquency. The researchers conducted their study by using data from the Korean Welfare Panel Study between 2006 and 2012, which surveyed almost 500 South Korean adolescents at three checkpoints over the time period. The researchers used path analysis to determine relationships between factors. The results showed that adolescents who were victims of bullying were more likely to be associated with delinquent behaviors later in life. Aggression was a significant mediating factor for adolescents that were victims of bullying and delinquency. Aggression was also a strong predictor of substance use and low academic performance. The authors note that more research needs to be conducted to better understand intervention tactics for adolescents who are victims of bullying in order to reduce their risk of delinquency. They encourage the research should be conducted within the social and cultural context of each society, globally.