Is there a link between childhood bullying behaviour and anti-social behaviour in later years?

Scandinavian studies found that children (especially boys) who bullied others were particularly likely to be involved in other anti-social behaviour such as shoplifting and drug abuse. The studies also found that this anti-social behaviour often continued into adulthood. Approximately 60% of boys who were described by teachers and peers as being bullies had at least one criminal conviction by the age of 24 compared to 23% of boys who had not been described as bullies. Even more disturbing was the finding that 35-40% of these bullies had 3 or more criminal convictions by this age, compared to 10% of those who had not been described as bullies.
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Article details

D Olweus, S Limber and S F Mihalic 'History and Description of the Bullying Prevention Program' in 'Blueprints for Violence Prevention', The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado at Boulder, USA. This paper can be downloaded here.

The information in this paper was taken from D Olweus, S Limber and S F Mihalic (1999) 'Blueprints for Violence Prevention. Book Nine: Bullying Prevention Program', Boulder, CO: Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence.
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Author details

Professor Dan Olweus was the first person to carry out a thorough research project on bullying. This large, long term study which began in Sweden in 1970, was to provide the inspiration for many who felt that bullying in schools should be challenged rather than accepted. Since the 1970s, his work in this area had continued with force. Indeed, in 1997-99, he led a group in a large project which introduced the widely respected Olweus (anti-bullying) programme to schools in Norway. Professor Olweus is based at the Research Centre for Health Promotion, University of Bergen in Norway and can be contacted by email.
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