The Impact of Bullying Victimization in Early Adolescence on Subsequent Psychosocial and Academic Outcomes across the Adolescent Period: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT

Bullying is a widespread global issue, with serious consequences for victimized individuals. The current systematic review is the first to explore the consequences of bullying in early adolescence on psychological and academic functioning across the adolescent period. Five databases were examined, yielding 28 relevant studies. Victimized individuals were found to experience negative psychosocial and academic outcomes, including increased depression and anxiety, increased peer rejection, poorer school performance and school connectedness, both over the short term (12 months), and up to 8 years later. Victimized females suffered worse outcomes than victimized males, specifically for symptoms of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. Future research should prioritize developing a globally recognized measure of bullying, and designing targeted interventions addressing specific outcomes for victimized females and males.

KEYWORDS:

• Bullying
• adolescence
• peer victimization
• systematic review
• longitudinal

Acknowledgments

The first author was supported by a scholarship from the University of Adelaide. Thank you to Maureen Bell, who assisted with the design of the logic grid and search terms used to search the literature, and Madeleine Benton, who provided knowledge on conducting a narrative synthesis.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sarah Halliday

Sarah Halliday is a PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide in South Australia. Her research examines the concurrent and longitudinal psychological, social, and academic outcomes of early adolescent bullying victimization.

Tess Gregory

Dr Tess Gregory is a Senior Research Fellow at the Telethon Kids Institute and sits in the Fraser Mustard centre, an innovative initiative between the Telethon Kids Institute and the South Australia Department for Education and Child Development. Tess has over 30 publications including journal articles, technical reports, government reports, conference abstracts, and research translation material.

Amanda Taylor

Dr Amanda Taylor is a Registered Psychologist with Clinical endorsement, Lecturer with the University of Adelaide School of Psychology, and Academic Lead for Indigenous Education and Engagement with the University of Adelaide School of Psychology.

Christianna Digenis

Christianna Digenis is a PhD and Masters in Health Psychology candidate at the University of Adelaide in South Australia.

Deborah Turnbull

Professor Deborah Turnbull holds the Chair in Psychology at the University of Adelaide in South Australia. She is an active Health and Clinical Psychology researcher and teacher and combines these activities with administration roles. She is an invited member of the College of Reviewers, Canadian Institutes of Health Research and teaches across all levels of psychology, while being active in the supervision of students enrolled in higher degrees by research.