Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Weapon Carrying in U.S. Adolescents: A Latent Class Analysis

• In Event: 18.038 - Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Victimization in the Digital Age

Abstract

Data from the 2013 School Crime Supplement of the National Crime Victimization Survey (N=4,933) were used to identify latent classes of bullying and cyberbullying victimization in U.S. adolescents (ages 12-18). The latent class model included school behavior management as a covariate and weapon carrying as a distal outcome. Analyses yielded four groups of adolescents who experienced a) mostly face-to-face bullying (C1, N=497), b) mostly cyberbullying (C2, N=114); c) minimal or no bullying or cyberbullying (C3, N=4,257); and d) critical levels of both bullying and cyberbullying (C4, N=67). Members of C1 and C4 were approximately 20% more likely than members of C3 to carry weapons to school; however, better behavior management at school significantly decreased the probability of victimization.

Author

• Diana Luminita Mindrila, The University of West Georgia