Correlation between Bully Victimization and Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Focus on Sex, Race, and Ethnicity

Generally defined as repeated intentional and unwanted aggressive behavior with a power imbalance between the perpetrator and the victim, bullying is a behavioral problem that typically begins in the school environment (Balayan & Verma, 2021; Olweus, 2013). Bullying victimization has been categorized as an adverse childhood experience (ACE) by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Studies examining the long-term impact of repeated bully victimizations have found that victimization in childhood and adolescence leads to poor mental health outcomes such as anxiety disorders later in the life course (Carlisle and Rofes, 2007; Copeland et al., 2013; Stapinski et al., 2014). Unfortunately, few studies have investigated this association across categories of sex and race/ethnicity despite documented differences in reported rates of general anxiety disorder. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 data, the present study explores the relationship between childhood bullying victimization and generalized anxiety disorder in middle adulthood. The results suggest the impact of experiencing repeated bully victimizations in childhood and adolescence had a positive association with general anxiety disorder and this association was general across categories of sex and race/ethnicity. The policy and theoretical impacts of our work will be discussed.