The Link Between Bullying Victimization and Gun Possession

Abstract

ABSTRACT Despite a large body of research exploring the influence of adolescent bullying victimization on a range of outcomes such as gun possession, scholars know less about the factors driving these relationships. Grounded in Agnew’s general strain theory, this study investigated whether the influence of bullying victimization on gun carrying behaviors operates indirectly through depressive symptoms. To answer this question, this study used data collected from a statewide representative sample of 9,819 middle and high school students who participated in the 2019 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey. Net of other potential confounding influences including race, age, sex, and level of parental education, results from the analyses indicate bullying victimization increased the odds that a respondent carries a gun. When a measure of depressive symptoms was added to the model, however, the bullying victimization variable dropped to non-significance, thus suggesting bullying victimization increased one’s depressive symptoms, which, in turn, increased the odds a respondent carried a gun. Furthermore, results from a Karlson – Holm – Breen (KHB) decomposition analysis revealed this indirect effect was statistically significant. The results from this study provide parents, teachers, and policymakers with information to help address issues associated with bullying and gun carrying behaviors among adolescents.