Explaining the Patterns of Bullying Victimization Trajectories: Assessing the Generality of Low Self-Control and Crime Opportunity Models to Bullying Victims

This study hypothesizes that self-control and opportunity variables affect heterogeneity in developmental trajectories of bullying victimization. Using data from a follow-up study of 2,351 Korean adolescents, the study incorporates a latent class growth analysis approach to identify subgroups, each with a unique pattern of the trajectories. The model yields three subgroups of bullying victims: the early-onset and decreaser, the increaser and late-peak, and the normative groups. Results suggest that, compared to the normative group, the early-onset and decreasing group members manifest lower levels of self-control and engage in a greater range of delinquent behaviors. Also, the impact of low self-control on group membership was attenuated after controlling for those opportunity variables, indicating a partially mediating relationship. Social guardianship variables distinguished normative groups from other victim groups. Further, members of the increaser and late-peak group were more likely than the early-onset and decreaser group members to engage in cyber deviance over the long-term.