title: Family histories of school bullying: implications for parent-child psychotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine whether a parent's past history of peer victimisation predicted their children's risk of being bullied at school.
  
  
  METHODS
  In face-to-face interviews, a representative community sample of 1895 mothers and fathers were asked about exposure to traumatic bullying during their schooling. Parents completed the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) to measure possible links with health-related quality of life. The interviews also inquired whether their children were victims of traumatic bullying at school.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parental victimisation was associated with an increased risk for their children being bullied (55% with a positive parental history compared with 25% with no parental history: relative risk=2.17). In a multivariate logistic model controlling for the parents' age, gender, socioeconomic status and health-related quality of life (physical and emotional components), parental victimisation remained a strong predictor for the children's victimisation at school (relative risk=2.00). In 9.3% of the sample, both parent and child experienced bullying during their schooling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parent and child dyads can be exposed sequentially to school bullying. In some instances, they may share familial characteristics that are exploited by bullies. These experiences can be explored in parent-child psychotherapy.
authors: Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park, SA, Australia.
authors: Stephen
authors: S
authors: Allison
authors: Leigh
authors: L
authors: Roeger
authors: Bradley
authors: B
authors: Smith
authors: Linda
authors: L
authors: Isherwood
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D058445:Bullying / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D005192:Family Health; D005196:Family Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010379:Peer Group; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012574:Schools; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: family history; parent-child psychotherapy; school bullying