Bullying and Being Bullied in Childhood Are Associated With Different Psychosocial Risk Factors for Poor Physical Health in Men

• NCJ Number: 251883
• Journal: Psychological Science Volume: 28 Issue: 6 Dated: 2017 Pages: 808-821
• Author(s): Karen A. Matthews; J. R. Jennings; Laisze Lee
• Date Published: 2017
• Length: 14 pages
• Grant Number(s): 96-MU-FX-0012
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Since the impact of childhood bullying on risk for poor physical health in adulthood is understudied, the current study conducted a comprehensive assessment of Black and White men (n = 305; mean age = 32.3 years) enrolled in the Pittsburgh Youth Study since the first grade, with a focus on their psychosocial, behavioral, and biological risk factors for poor health.

Abstract

Results showed that being a bully in childhood was associated with greater stress and aggression and poorer health behaviors in adulthood; whereas, being a victim of bullies in childhood was associated with lower socioeconomic resources, less optimism, and greater unfair treatment in adulthood. Unexpectedly, neither bullying nor being bullied in childhood was related to inflammation or metabolic syndrome. The study concluded that bullying and being bullied in childhood were associated with distinct domains of psychosocial risk in adulthood that may later lead to poor physical health. (Publisher abstract modified)