Psychosocial Correlates in Bullying and Victimization

SUMMARY Examined differences between bullies, victims, and bully-victims on internalizing psychopathology (depression and anxiety). Participants included 133 (66 male and 67 female) sixth-grade students from a Midwestern middle school, ages ranging from 11 to 13 years old. The data presented are from the first two years of a five-year longitudinal study that began January of 1999. Initial results indicate differences between bullies, victims, bully-victims, and students without bully/victim problems (no status) in terms of depression and anxiety. Specifically, bully-victims and bullies were more likely to be depressed than victims and no status students. Bully-victims and victims were more likely to experience anxious symptoms than bullies and no status students. Thus, an interesting pattern emerged with respect to internalizing psychopathology along the bully/victim continuum. Bully-victims may be the most impaired subtype with respect to depression and anxiety. Implications for prevention and intervention programs are discussed.