Childhood bullies and victims and their risk of criminality in late adolescence: the Finnish “From a Boy to a Man” study.
Sourander A, Jensen P, Ronning JA, Elonheimo H, Niemela S, Helenius H, et al.
The Bottom Line:
Children who bully often and who also have symptoms of psychiatric disorders are at greater risk for engaging in criminal behavior as they get older. Children who are known to bully others frequently should be tested for psychiatric illnesses.
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What problem is being addressed?
Bullies make life miserable for their victims. Some children seemed to get picked on frequently, others seldom or never. Some children bully others all the time, some just occasionally. There is also a group of children who are both victims and bullies. Many children who bully have emotional or behavioural problems and often have conduct disorder or ADHD.
What intervention is being tested?
This long-term follow-up study looked at whether or not having been a bully, a victim, or a bully-victim in childhood predicted engaging in criminal acts during late adolescence, like drunk driving, property crimes, violence against others, or traffic offences, or having a psychiatric disorder.
What is the real scientific evidence?
2551 8-year-old boys, their parents and teachers were asked about bullying behavior. Teachers and parents were asked if each child bullied or was victimized by a bully, or both and to what degree (e.g., never, somewhat, or certainly). Children were asked if they bullied others “almost every day,” “sometimes,” or “usually never.” They were also asked if they were bullied “almost every day”, “sometimes”, or “usually never”. Parents and teachers were also asked to fill out scales that help identify behaviours that reflect ADHD, depression, anxiety, or conduct disorder. Later, their police records for ages between 16 and 20 years were examined.
The preceding is a summary of:
Sourander A, Jensen P, Ronning JA, Elonheimo H, Niemela S, Helenius H, et al. Childhood bullies and victims and their risk of criminality in late adolescence the Finnish From a Boy to a Man study. Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine. 2007; 161: 546-552.
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