Religious Predictors of Bully Involvement in Youth

• In Event: 2329 - Section on the Sociology of Religion Referred Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 2. Religion and Identity in Context

Abstract

Religiosity and bully involvement are important dimensions of social and personal development in youth. In addition, both religion and bully involvement have implications for health, wellbeing, and attainment over the life course. Despite the importance of religion and bully involvement for social and health outcomes, however, prior research has not examined whether religion may influence the likelihood of bully involvement (i.e. victims, bullies, or bully-victims) in youth. For example, religion may prevent bully involvement by providing social supports and moral directives such as treating others with respect. Religion, however, may exacerbate bullying through personal feelings of strain associated with religion or through marginalization of religious views and practices in youth. Using the National Study of Youth and Religion Wave 1 (N=3290), this study assesses the likelihood of general (i.e. teasing) bully involvement and religious-related victimization by key religious factors in youth. Results show that religious affiliation, religious practices, and religious views and beliefs are all associated with differential likelihoods of bully involvement in youth. In general, more positive attitudes towards alternative beliefs and greater religious doubts were associated with higher likelihoods of general bullying involvement. Likewise, increases in religious practices such as attendance and youth group participation were associated with greater likelihood of religious-related victimization. More positive attitudes towards God and increased religious salience, however, were generally associated with less bullying involvement. This study demonstrates that religion can serve both as a protective and exacerbating influence on the emergence of bully involvement in youth.

Author

• Joseph Charles Jochman, University of Nebraska-Lincoln