Having been bullied in childhood: relationship to aggressive behaviour in adulthood

Victimization through being bullied in childhood is traditionally associated with subsequent internalizing symptoms, but some literature suggests otherwise. In this study, we examined a history of being bullied in relationship to 21 externalized aggressive behaviours in adulthood.

Using a cross-sectional approach and a self-report survey methodology, we examined a history of being bullied in childhood in relation to 21 aggression variables in a consecutive sample of 342 internal medicine outpatients.

In comparison with the not bullied, participants who reported having been bullied in childhood had a statistically significantly greater overall number of self-reported aggressive behaviours. Longer duration of being bullied was statistically significantly correlated with a greater number of reported aggressive behaviours. With regard to individual behaviours, four were statistically significantly associated with being bullied: hitting walls; intentionally breaking things; getting into fist fights; and pushing/shoving a partner.

While relationships between bullying in childhood and subsequent internalizing symptoms have been well established, the present study indicates that bullying in childhood is also associated with externalizing/aggressive behaviours in adulthood.