The effects of gender and poly-victimization on bullying victimization and perpetration among college students

• In Event: Impact of Gender on Bullying and Poly-victimization

Abstract

Nationally, about 30% of youth experience bullying, almost 20% bully others, both groups report poorer psychosocial adjustment than their peers (Nansel et al., 2001), and are more common among males than females (Cook et al., 2010). Research also suggests that those who are abused by caregivers are more likely to be bullied by peers and that these poly-victims have more negative outcomes than their singly or non-victimized counterparts (Finkelhor et al., 2007). This study used on-line, self-report surveys to examine the relationship of childhood maltreatment, peer bullying, and their interaction on college bullying victimization and perpetration among 513 (men = 231; women = 282) college students. Because t-tests indicated men and women differed significantly on bullying victimization since college and bullying perpetration, OLS regressions were run separately by gender. Results indicate that for women child abuse and prior bullying interact (exacerbate) in their effects on both college bullying victimization and perpetration (R2 = .13 and R2 = .15, respectively) consistent with the notion of poly-victimization, whereas for men mediating effects of prior bullying on child abuse were more prominent for college bullying victimization and perpetration (R2 = .23 and R2 = .04, respectively). Policy and theoretical implications will be discussed.

Authors

• Kim S. Menard, Pennsylvania State University, Altoona

• Emily B. Ansell, Yale University