Bullies, victims of bullying more likely to witness family violence, be hurt by relative
FRIDAY, April 22 (HealthDay News) -- Bullies and victims of bullies have an increased likelihood of witnessing family violence or being physically hurt by a family member, according to a report in the April 22 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the CDC analyzed data from the 2009 Massachusetts Youth Health Survey to evaluate the association between family violence and other risk factors for being involved in or affected by bullying as a bully, victim, or bully-victim (those who reported being both bullies and victims of bullying).
The report revealed significant differences in risk factors for persons in all three bullying categories as compared with individuals who reported being neither bullies nor victims. The adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for middle school students for being physically hurt by a family member were 2.9 for victims, 4.4 for bullies, and 5.0 for bully-victims. The aORs for middle school students for witnessing violence in the family were 2.6 for victims, 2.9 for bullies, and 3.9 for bully-victims. The aORs for high school students for being physically hurt by a family member were 2.8 for victims, 3.8 for bullies, and 5.4 for bully-victims. The aORs for high school students witnessing violence in the family were 2.3 for victims, 2.7 for bullies, and 6.8 for bully-victims.
"The findings of increased risk for bullies, victims, and bully-victims of being physically hurt by a family member or witnessing family violence underscore the association between bullying and events outside of the school," the authors write.
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