Citation

Holt MK, Gini G. Pediatrics 2017; 140(6): e2017-3033.

Affiliation

University of Padova, Padova, Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, American Academy of Pediatrics)

DOI

10.1542/peds.2017-3033

PMID

29180465

Abstract

Cross-sectional and longitudinal research have documented that involvement in bullying as a bully, victim, or bully-victim can compromise functioning in multiple domains.1–4 In the case of bullying victimization, studies have highlighted relations to internalizing symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, psychosomatic symptoms, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts.1,5–7 A smaller body of research has explored links between bullying victimization and externalizing or violent behaviors or those that might predict violence. Findings from these studies indicate that bullied youth are at risk for aggressive, antisocial, and illegal behaviors both during adolescence and in adulthood.8,9 Moreover, cross-sectional research has found that victims of bullying are more likely than their nonvictimized peers to bring weapons, such as knives and guns, to school.10–12 Researchers in some of these studies have taken other factors into account, including risk-taking and antisocial behaviors as well as other types of violence.10 However, to date, researchers have not comprehensively assessed whether particular individual or contextual factors increase the likelihood that bullied youth will bring weapons to school.

In this issue, Pham et al13 add to this body of literature through their more nuanced consideration of the association between bullying victimization and weapon carrying. In particular, they highlight the salient role of 3 additional risk factors that are indicative of peer-aggression experiences: fighting at school, being threatened or injured at school, and skipping school because of fear for one’s safety. Each individual factor increased the risk of weapon carrying among victims, with the odds of weapon carrying increasing with the number of risk factors...

Language: en