Understanding the Link Between Family Economic Hardship and Children’s Bullying Behavior

Abstract

Past research has revealed a link between family economic hardship and children’s bullying involvement, yet research has not examined the kinds of factors that may mediate this relationship. Our study used data from the National Survey of Children’s Health and consisted of a sample of 15,797 children from 12 to 17 years of age who lived with their mothers. We found that family economic hardship was directly related to a child’s bullying behavior. Indirect associations were also found between child’s bullying and family economic hardship, violence in the home, and mother’s parental frustration. Implications for research are discussed.