Sex Differences in the Health Risk Behavior Outcomes of Childhood Bullying Victimization

Short- and long-term health consequences of bullying victimization are well documented and include physical and mental health issues as well as increased involvement in risky behavior, but research exploring sex differences in victimization outcomes is still limited. This study uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1997 to examine the consequences of victimization by sex and, more specifically, relationships between bullying victimization and later health risk behaviors-including risky sexual activity, smoking, alcohol use, and drug use. Multivariate analyses identified sex differences for specific health risk indicators, and a substantial difference was evident for overall risk.