Impact of low self-control, parental involvement, and peer relationships on changes of bullying perpetration over time: A latent growth curve model of a sample of South Korean adolescents

This study examines how intra-individual differences in bullying change over time and how inter-individual differences in bullying perpetration are explained by factors associated with self-control, parental involvement, and delinquent peer associations. A sample of 2844 youth were extracted from the Korean Youth Panel Survey, which is a longitudinal survey where individuals were assessed each year between ages 11 and 15 years. Results from latent growth curve models suggest that: (1) the rates of bullying tend to decrease over time, (2) adolescents with lower levels of parental involvement have a greater odds of bullying perpetration, and (3) adolescents with low self-control are at a higher risk for bullying perpetration. Additionally, adolescents with an increased rate of delinquent peer associations demonstrated an increasing rate of change in bullying perpetration. Results from the models assessed here suggest that peer relationships have a profound effect on bullying perpetration.