Childhood bullying behaviors at age eight and substance use at age 18 among males. A nationwide prospective study

Abstract

Childhood bullying behaviors (bullying and victimization) were studied as risk factors for substance use among Finnish males. The study design was a nationwide prospective general population study, where information was collected in 1989 and 1999. Bullying behaviors and childhood psychopathology at age eight were collected from teachers, parents and boys themselves. At age 18, self-reports of frequent drunkenness (once a week or more often), daily heavy smoking (10 cigarettes or more per day), and illicit drug use during the past six months were obtained from 78% of the boys attending the study at age eight (n = 2946). Being frequently victimized at age eight predicted daily heavy smoking, and this was evident even after adjusting for childhood family background, psychopathology at age eight and at age 18, and other forms of substance use. In multivariate analysis, bullying others frequently predicted illicit drug use, while being a victim of bullying associated with a lower occurrence of illicit drug use. Bullying behaviors had no association with frequent drunkenness independent of other factors. Accordingly, being a victim of bullying predisposes in particular to subsequent smoking. Bullying others in childhood can be regarded as an early indicator to illicit drug use later in life. The screening and intervention possibilities in order to recognize the risk group for later health compromising behaviors are emphasized.

Introduction

Bullying is a stressful life event influencing children's development (Arseneault et al., 2006), and has been shown to have long-term effects on well-being over the lifecourse (Kim et al., 2006, Kumpulainen and Räsänen, 2000, Sourander, Jensen, Rønning, Elonheimo, et al., 2007, Sourander, Jensen, Rønning, Niemelä, et al., 2007, Sourander et al., 2009). To date, empirical knowledge of the long-term effects of bullying on substance use is scarce. In previous cross-sectional studies, substance use has been found to be more common among bullies (Adelmann, 2005, Alikasifoglu et al., 2007, Kaltiala-Heino et al., 1999, Kaltiala-Heino et al., 2000Morris et al., 2006, Nansel et al., 2004, Schnohr and Niclasen, 2006). Recently, bullying was found to associate with smoking, alcohol use and substance use disorders (Luukkonen, Riala, Hakko, & Räsänen, 2010). However, there are no previous prospective studies that have focused on child bullies or bully-victims.

Findings concerning victimization of bullying have been more ambiguous. Some studies have indicated that substance use is more common among victims of bullying (Mitchell et al., 2007, Turagabeci et al., 2008), while others have not (Alikasifoglu et al., 2007, Liang et al., 2007). Also a lower occurrence of substance use among victims of bullying compared to those not involved with bullying has been reported (Desousa et al., 2008, Hazemba et al., 2008, Kaltiala-Heino et al., 2000, Liang et al., 2007). The previous findings concerning substance use and bully-victim status have been inconsistent (Kaltiala-Heino et al., 2000, Liang et al., 2007, Morris et al., 2006).

In a recent prospective study, being a victim of mental bullying associated with illicit drug use, but not with alcohol use or cigarette smoking among boys. However, in that study, bullies or bully-victims were not studied, the follow-up was short, and the effect of psychopathology was not included in the analyses. (Tharp-Taylor, Haviland, & D'Amico, 2009)

Our aims were to study prospective associations between bullying behaviors at age eight and self-reported substance use (frequent drunkenness, daily heavy smoking, and illicit drug use) at age 18 in a nationwide male sample. We aimed to exclude the impact of possible confounding factors by adjusting the outcome with childhood psychopathology and family background, as well as substance use and psychopathology at age 18. We hypothesized that the prospective associations between bullying behaviors and substance use is most evident among. We also hypothesized that the associations between smoking and bullying behaviors differ from drunkenness and illicit drug use.