Associations among Bullying Victimization, Family Dysfunction, Negative Affect, and Bullying Perpetration in Macanese Adolescents

• Published date: 01 January 2022
• DOI: 10.1177/0306624X20983741
• Author: Xue Weng,Wing Hong Chui,Paul Vinod Khiatani
• Date: 01 January 2022
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X20983741

International Journal of

Offender Therapy and

Comparative Criminology

2022, Vol. 66(1) 28 –49

© The Author(s) 2020

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DOI: 10.1177/0306624X20983741

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Article

Associations among Bullying

Victimization, Family

Dysfunction, Negative Affect,

and Bullying Perpetration

in Macanese Adolescents

Wing Hong Chui1, Xue Weng2,

and Paul Vinod Khiatani1

Abstract

Bullying has become one of the most significant problem behaviors that school-

aged adolescents face. The current study examines the strain–delinquency relation-

ship by employing General Strain Theory as a guiding framework. “Strain” was

operationalized as bullying victimization and family dysfunction, “delinquency” was

operationalized as bullying perpetration, and “negative affect” was operationalized

as anxiety and depression. Analyses were carried out based on a group of 2,139

Macanese schoolchildren. Using a structural equation modeling technique, the results

revealed that exposure to family dysfunction and bullying victimization was associated

with adolescents’ negative affect, such as anxiety and depression. Contrary to our

expectations, the indirect effect of victimization on bullying through negative affect

was negative, though the mediation effect was relatively small and only significant in

boys. In addition, gender analyses of invariance showed that male adolescents who

experienced more family conflict and parental control were less likely to engage in

bullying. This study could lead to further anti-bullying interventions and practical

efforts designed to improve positive parenting and adolescents’ interpersonal skills.

Keywords

bullying, victimization, adolescence, negative affect, family conflict, parental control,

gender

1Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

2School of Nursing, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

Corresponding Author:

Xue Weng, School of Nursing, University of Hong Kong, 4/F, William MW Mong Block, 21 Sassoon

Road, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Email: wengxue@connect.hku.hk

983741IJOXXX10.1177/0306624X20983741International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative CriminologyChui et al.

research-article2020

Chui et al. 29

Introduction

Bullying is a widespread phenomenon among contemporary Macanese students. A

survey of 2,232 elementary and secondary school students in Macau (Wong & Choi,

2006) found that the prevalence rates of verbal bullying vary between 26% and 78%,

and the prevalence rates of physical bullying vary between 16% and 46%. What con-

cerns the public most is the adverse effects of bullying on both bullies’ and victims’

emotional well-being and their subsequent coping behavior (Arseneault et al., 2006;

Chan & Wong, 2015; Hawker & Boulton, 2000). This study draws on General Strain

Theory (GST) as an explanatory framework, in order to understand factors related to

bullying. GST posits that various types of negative relations and interactions with oth-

ers (strains) lead to negative affect; strained individuals may use delinquency as a way

of escaping from those strains or to alleviate negative affect (Agnew, 1992, 2006).

Using data from a representative sample of schoolchildren in Macau, we conduct a

preliminary test of the associations among bullying victimization (herein referred to as

victimization), family dysfunction, negative affect, and bullying perpetration (herein

referred to as bullying). Applying GST perspective, the present study seeks to explore

the transformation process from multiple strains (e.g., family dysfunction and victim-

ization) to bullying through negative affect (e.g., anxiety and depression).

Literature Review

The Effects of Family Dysfunction on Bullying, Victimization, and

Negative Affect

Family can be a source of strain as it plays a primary role in the developmental stages

of childhood and adolescence. Children exposed to family dysfunction are vulnerable

to mental health problems. Research has documented that children’s anxiety and

depressive symptoms can result from a dysfunctional family environment (Barnett &

Hunter, 2012; Daches et al., 2018; Hughes et al., 2008). Less supportive and more

conflictual family environments are found to be associated with short- and long-term

depression in adolescents (Sheeber et al., 1997). Extensive evidence has shown that

harsh parenting is related to an increase in aggressive behavior in children and adoles-

cents (see Kawabata et al., 2011, for a meta-analysis).

There is also strong evidence connecting family functioning to bullying and vic-

timization (Lereya et al., 2013). Bullying is associated with different types of family

dysfunction, such as family aggression (Hemphill et al., 2012; Schwartz et al., 1997;

Stevens et al., 2002), low levels of family cohesiveness (Berdondini & Smith, 1996),

and poor family functioning (Beinart et al., 2002). Family dysfunction, such as family

conflict and/or heightened parental control, is associated with authoritarian parenting

styles, like the use of punitive child-rearing practices. Studies have consistently

shown that children whose parents use authoritarian styles display more aggressive

behavior (Schwartz et al., 1998; Stevens et al., 2002) and exhibit a higher risk of

developing bullying behavior (Ahmed & Braithwaite, 2004; Georgiou et al., 2016).