Why stigmatized adolescents bully more: the role of self-esteem and academic-status insecurity
Previous research finds that low achievers and students from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds are more likely to bully peers, but fails to satisfactorily explain why. This paper tests the hypothesis that feelings of insecurity mediate the relationship between family background and low achievem...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2020-12-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Adolescence and Youth |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1622582 |
| _version_ | 1818879484337586176 |
|---|---|
| author | Lars Dietrich Ronald F. Ferguson |
| author_facet | Lars Dietrich Ronald F. Ferguson |
| author_sort | Lars Dietrich |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Previous research finds that low achievers and students from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds are more likely to bully peers, but fails to satisfactorily explain why. This paper tests the hypothesis that feelings of insecurity mediate the relationship between family background and low achievement, as predictors, and self-perception of being a bully, as the outcome. It operationalizes feelings of insecurity as self-esteem and academic-status insecurity. Using a large and diverse dataset of survey responses from secondary school males in the U.S. (N = 7,291, 45% White, 30% Black, 25% Latino from 6th-12th grade), the paper applies multi-level mediation analyses to test the hypothesis separately for Blacks, Whites, and Latinos. For all three groups, the insecurity measures account for virtually all of the relationship between a grade point average and self-perception of being a bully, and about a third of the relationship between family background and the same bullying measure. Implications are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T14:30:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-37718dc161494341976ad35dcf13706f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0267-3843 2164-4527 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T14:30:48Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Adolescence and Youth |
| spelling | doaj.art-37718dc161494341976ad35dcf13706f2022-12-21T20:17:28ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Adolescence and Youth0267-38432164-45272020-12-0125130531810.1080/02673843.2019.16225821622582Why stigmatized adolescents bully more: the role of self-esteem and academic-status insecurityLars Dietrich0Ronald F. Ferguson1Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinHarvard University, John F. Kennedy School of GovernmentPrevious research finds that low achievers and students from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds are more likely to bully peers, but fails to satisfactorily explain why. This paper tests the hypothesis that feelings of insecurity mediate the relationship between family background and low achievement, as predictors, and self-perception of being a bully, as the outcome. It operationalizes feelings of insecurity as self-esteem and academic-status insecurity. Using a large and diverse dataset of survey responses from secondary school males in the U.S. (N = 7,291, 45% White, 30% Black, 25% Latino from 6th-12th grade), the paper applies multi-level mediation analyses to test the hypothesis separately for Blacks, Whites, and Latinos. For all three groups, the insecurity measures account for virtually all of the relationship between a grade point average and self-perception of being a bully, and about a third of the relationship between family background and the same bullying measure. Implications are discussed.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1622582bullyinginsecuritystigmasocioeconomic statusachievementethnicity |
| spellingShingle | Lars Dietrich Ronald F. Ferguson Why stigmatized adolescents bully more: the role of self-esteem and academic-status insecurity International Journal of Adolescence and Youth bullying insecurity stigma socioeconomic status achievement ethnicity |
| title | Why stigmatized adolescents bully more: the role of self-esteem and academic-status insecurity |
| title_full | Why stigmatized adolescents bully more: the role of self-esteem and academic-status insecurity |
| title_fullStr | Why stigmatized adolescents bully more: the role of self-esteem and academic-status insecurity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Why stigmatized adolescents bully more: the role of self-esteem and academic-status insecurity |
| title_short | Why stigmatized adolescents bully more: the role of self-esteem and academic-status insecurity |
| title_sort | why stigmatized adolescents bully more the role of self esteem and academic status insecurity |
| topic | bullying insecurity stigma socioeconomic status achievement ethnicity |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1622582 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT larsdietrich whystigmatizedadolescentsbullymoretheroleofselfesteemandacademicstatusinsecurity AT ronaldfferguson whystigmatizedadolescentsbullymoretheroleofselfesteemandacademicstatusinsecurity |