Parental Attachment and Bullying in South Korean Adolescents: Mediating Effects of Low Self-Control, Deviant Peer Associations, and Delinquency

Utilizing a nationally representative, longitudinal South Korean student sample, the current study explores two pathways leading to bullying: (a) parental attachment to low self-control and (b) low self-control to deviant peer associations. Data for the study were derived from the Korean Youth Panel Study, and the study sample consisted of fourth graders in 2004 and eighth graders in 2008, producing three waves of data. Structural equation modeling was used to examine whether parental attachment (Wave 1), low self-control, deviant peer associations, and delinquency (Wave 2) were associated with bullying (Wave 3). Results suggest a significant indirect relationship between poor parental attachment and higher rates of bullying through low self-control. Implications for practice and research are also discussed.