Comparing the Impact of Bullying Victimization on Drug Use and Weapon Carrying among Male and Female Middle and High School Students: A Partial Test of General Strain Theory

ABSTRACT

Prior research testing general strain theory (GST) suggests potential differences in how males and females respond to strain. Using a sample of 3,139 middle and high school students (1,515 males and 1,624 females), this study evaluates male and female delinquent coping behaviors to traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimization. Three delinquent coping behaviors are investigated: soft drug use, hard drug use, and weapon carrying. This study also examines the impact of bullying on anticipated strain and tests whether anticipated strain mediates the relationship between bullying and delinquency. Results from group-based structural equation models indicate sex differences in the effect of bullying on delinquent coping behavior. Specifically, bullying victimization has a significantly larger association with anticipated strain for males and cyberbullying victimization has a significantly larger association with drug use and weapon carrying for males. Anticipated strain partially mediates the relationship between bullying and delinquency. Policy implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Notes

¹ While the selection process of the 23 schools was non-probabilistic the scope of this project exceeds numerous prior studies on bullying that examined fewer schools which were also selected non-probabilistically (see for example, Cullen et al. 2008 – six middle schools; Hay and Meldrum 2010 – one middle and one high school; Hay, Meldrum, and Mann 2010 – one middle and one high school; Tharp-Taylor, Haviland, and D’Amico 2009 – two middle schools).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Caitlin M. Brady

Caitlin M. Brady is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Central Florida. She received her Master’s in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Her research interests include: juvenile justice, mental health, gender differences, and risk assessment.

Thomas Baker

Thomas Baker is an associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Central Florida. His research interests include perceptions of crime and the criminal justice system, institutional corrections, and life-course criminology.

William V. Pelfrey

William V. Pelfrey Jr. is a Professor in the Criminal Justice Program and Chair of the Homeland Security/Emergency Preparedness Program in the Wilder School of Government at Virginia Commonwealth University. He received his PhD in criminal justice from Temple University and his MS in clinical psychology from Radford University. His primary research areas are: homeland security, police use of force, cyber bullying, and the psychology of the offender.