Theoretical and Empirical Links Between Bullying Behavior and Male Sexual Violence Perpetration

• NCJ Number: 228722
• Journal: Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 14 Issue: 5 Dated: September/October 2009 Pages: 336-347
• Author(s): Kathleen C. Basile; Dorothy L. Espelage; Ian Rivers; Pamela M. McMahon; Thomas R. Simon
• Date Published: October 2009
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Literature Review
• Language: English
• Country: Netherlands

Annotation

This paper reviews the literature on the shared and unique risk and protective factors for bullying and sexual violence perpetration and how these two forms of violence may be related.

Abstract

The review indicates that most of the factors associated with bullying perpetration are also associated with sexual violence perpetration. This finding suggests that the two forms of violence share many risk and protective factors, but does not necessarily imply that bullying is part of the developmental pathway to sexual violence. Both bullying behaviors and male sexual violence perpetration are major public health problems that occur at relatively high rates. While the literature suggests that they may share some developmental correlates, there is no established empirical link between being a perpetrator or victim of bullying and sexual violence perpetration in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to discuss shared risk and protective factors based on the separate bodies of research on bullying and sexual violence perpetration and to highlight factors studied in only one realm of violence that may have implications for the other. Figure and references