title: Victims of bullying in childhood, criminal outcomes in adulthood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Being bullied in childhood is empirically associated with a number of negative psychosocial outcomes, including delinquency. However, no study to date has examined in a clinical population relationships between being bullied in childhood and accruing charges for criminal behavior in adulthood - the focus of the present study.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study of 377 consecutive outpatients from an internal medicine clinic, we examined relationships between three self- reported bullying variables and self-reported charges for any of 27 criminal behaviors as schematized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this sample, approximately 45% of participants self-reported being victims of bullying in childhood. Men, but not women, evidenced relationships between being a victim of bullying in childhood and the number of different illegal charges reported in adulthood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the methodology of this study does not allow for the determination of a causal relationship, findings suggest that being a victim of bullying in childhood may be associated with criminal behavior in adulthood, particularly among males.
authors: Psychiatry and Internal Medicine, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, OH, USA. Randy.sansone@khnetwork.org
authors: Randy A
authors: RA
authors: Sansone
authors: Charlene
authors: C
authors: Lam
authors: Michael W
authors: MW
authors: Wiederman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D058445:Bullying / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003415:Crime / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057237:Criminals / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult