A prospective study of the potential moderating role of social support in preventing marginalization among individuals exposed to bullying and abuse in junior high school.

Ida Frugård Strøm,Grete Dyb,Åse Sagatun,Siri Thoresen,Tore Wentzel-Larsen

doi:10.1007/s10964-014-0145-4

Abstract

Negative physical and psychological long-term consequences of abuse and bullying are well documented. It is reasonable to assume that abuse and bullying early in life also may have an impact on the ability to work and stay economically independent later in life, but such prospective studies are lacking. This study investigates the consequences of exposure to abuse and bullying in junior high school, as measured by receiving long-term social welfare benefits in young adulthood. In addition, it explores the potential protective role of social support. Self-reported data from 13,633 (50.3 % female) junior high school students were linked to registry data on their use of social welfare benefits from the age of 18 and for eight consecutive years. Cox regression analyses were applied to test the relationship between exposure to life adversities and the use of social welfare benefits, and the potential moderating role of social support. The analyses showed that individuals exposed to abuse and bullying had an increased likelihood of receiving social-welfare benefits compared with individuals not exposed to these types of abuse. Exposure to multiple types of abuse led to a higher likelihood of using social welfare benefits compared with single types of abuse and no abuse. The findings on the potential moderating role of social support were mixed, depending on the source of social support. Family support and classmate relationships were protective in reducing the likelihood of the use of social welfare benefits, whereas peer and teachers’ support showed inconsistent patterns. These results are promising in terms of preventing the long-term negative consequences of abuse and bullying.

Highlights

Exposure to physical abuse, sexual abuse, and bullying are considered to be major public health problems (Gellert et al 2010)
This study investigates the consequences of exposure to abuse and bullying in junior high school, as measured by receiving long-term social welfare benefits in young adulthood
We address some of the methodological limitations of previous research by prospectively investigating the potential, longterm consequences of sexual abuse, physical abuse, and bullying—separately and in combination— on receiving long-term social welfare benefits (Aim 1)

Summary

Introduction

Sexual abuse, and bullying are considered to be major public health problems (Gellert et al 2010). The severe long-term physical (Wegman and Stetler 2009; Annerback et al 2012) and psychological (Turner et al 2006; Arseneault et al 2010) health consequences have been documented, few epidemiological studies have focused on the long-term consequences of abuse and bullying during adolescence on reduced participation in work in terms of using social welfare benefits in adulthood (Strøm et al 2013). A social ecological perspective (Bronfenbrenner 1977) allows us to investigate abuse occurring in multiple areas as well as to examine the interplay between the individual and his or her surroundings. This can help identify possible push and pull factors, such as social support, that may contribute in either a positive or negative way to the individual’s development. It may be important to study exposure to abuse and bullying simultaneously as previous research has found that they

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