P7 Is being a victim of bullying or cyberbullying in secondary school associated with subsequent risk-taking behaviour and delinquency in adolescence? A longitudinal cohort study

Abstract

Background With the high prevalence of bullying in schools and rise in cyberbullying in the UK, it is vital that the health impacts of bullying victimisation, including on risk-taking and delinquent behaviour, are understood. These behaviours have important public health implications for non-communicable diseases and violent crime. Neurobiological and social changes can make adolescent victims of bullying more susceptible to subsequent impulsive behaviour. This is the first study in England to use a longitudinal design to investigate the relationship between bullying/cyberbullying victimisation and risk-taking behaviour. Aim To test whether bullying/cyberbullying victimisation is associated with subsequent health risk-taking and delinquent behaviour in adolescence. Risk-taking behaviour includes electronic cigarette and cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, illicit drug use and early sexual debut. Delinquent behaviour includes weapon carrying, damaging property and setting fire. Methods A secondary quantitative analysis of 2297 secondary school students in the control arm of the INCLUSIVE trial, which were treated as a longitudinal cohort, was performed. Generic bullying victimisation was measured at baseline (Year 7) using the Gatehouse Bullying Scale and a separate validated question assessed for cyberbullying victimisation. Logistic regression modelling was used to test for an association between bullying/cyberbullying victimisation at baseline and risk-taking/delinquent behaviour at 36 months, adjusting for baseline risky/delinquent behaviour and other potential confounders. Robust standard errors controlled for school clusters. Results There was statistical evidence (p Conclusions It may be plausible that bullying/cyberbullying victimisation can cause subsequent risk-taking/delinquent behaviour in adolescence. Policy options should focus on anti-bullying school interventions and preventing the upstream contextual factors that predispose adolescents to bullying victimisation and perpetration. Clinicians should ask about bullying/cyberbullying victimisation when seeing adolescents who present with health risk-taking behaviour.