Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Examining the Relationship Between Violent Behaviors and Bullying Victimization Among Adolescents

Incidences of traditional bullying and cyberbullying have received national attention and have increased concerns of law makers and education officials regarding prevalence and the potential impacts on adolescent victims, specifically regarding the relationship to violent behaviors. However, research that specifically examines the relationship between the co-occurrence of traditional- and cyber-victimization and the potential association with violent behaviors are scarce. This research examines the potential influence of traditional and cyberbullying victimization on counts of violent behaviors in a nationally representative adolescent sample. Data are from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, for which a national sample of 15,624 adolescents aged 12-18 years, in grades 9 through 12 were surveyed during the 2015 school year. Negative binomial regression models were created to examine the relationship between victimization and violent behaviors among adolescents. Results indicate that victimization, particularly the combination of traditional and cyberbullying, significantly impacts counts of violent behaviors among adolescents. The findings show that further action should be taken to understand the negative outcomes stemming from the co-occurrence of traditional and cyber-victimization and to strengthen programs created to reduce rates of traditional and cyberbullying among adolescents in schools and homes.