Examining the Link Between Being a Victim of Bullying and Delinquency Trajectories Among an African American Sample

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to provide an analysis of the link between being a victim of bullying and delinquency trajectories. Using a sample of African Americans ( n = 725), the results show that three distinct trajectory groups of delinquency are present in the data (low desisting, desisting, and high changing). Further, the results indicate that being a victim of bullying is relevant in distinguishing between these three delinquency groups net other controls (i.e., being male, marijuana use, gang membership, and poor parental support). These results are discussed in theoretical contexts.