Bullying victimization, obesity, sleep quality, and gender: The moderating effects of academic achievement

Abstract

This study used routine activity theory to examine the relationships between bullying victimization, subjective obesity, gender, sleep duration, and academic achievement in a national sample of high school youth in the United States. Subjective obesity status (OR = 1.54, 95% CI [1.17–2.03]), academic achievement (OR = 0.88 [0.81, 0.95]), and sleep duration (OR = 0.83 [0.78, 0.88] were significant predictors of bullying victimization. Academic achievement, in turn, attenuated the effects of subjective obesity status. Males were less likely to experience bullying victimization (OR = .56 [.49, .65]), less likely to identify as obese, less likely to earn As and Bs in academic achievement, and more likely to obtain adequate amounts of sleep on school nights. Problems in identifying interactions are discussed. The findings indicate that routine activity theory is a viable framework for understanding bullying victimization, and that academic achievement and sleep duration should be understood as protective factors against bullying predation.

Keywords:

• Academic performance
• bullying victimization
• gender
• obesity
• routine activity theory
• sleep duration

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Floyd Berry

Floyd Berry holds the PhD in Anthropology from the University of Texas and an additional PhD in Criminal Justice from Texas State University. He is an associate professor in the Department of Social Sciences at Texas A&M University-Central Texas.