https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260517696864
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
1–23
© The Author(s) 2017
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DOI: 10.1177/0886260517696864
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Article
Exploring Bullying
Perpetration and
Victimization Among
Adolescent Girls in the Child
Welfare System: Bully-Only,
Victim-Only, Bully-Victim,
and Noninvolved Roles
Paul R. Sterzing,
1
Wendy F. Auslander,
2
G. Allen Ratliff,
1
Donald R. Gerke,
2
Tonya Edmond,
2
and Melissa Jonson-Reid
2
Abstract
Childhood abuse is a common experience for youth in the child welfare system,
increasing their risk of bullying perpetration and victimization. Little research
exists that has examined the rates of bullying perpetration and victimization
for child welfare–involved adolescent girls. The study addressed the following
aims: (a) to generate frequency estimates of physical, nonphysical, and
relational forms of bullying perpetration and victimization; (b) to identify the
frequency of bully-only, victim-only, bully-victim, and noninvolved roles; and
(c) to identify risk and protective factors that correlate with these bullying
role types. Participants were 236 girls (12-19 years) in the child welfare
system from a Midwestern urban area. Participants were referred to the
study to join a trauma-focused group program. Seventy-five percent of the
total sample were youth of color, with the remaining 25% identifying as White,
1
University of California, Berkeley, USA
2
Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
Corresponding Author:
Paul R. Sterzing, School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley, 120 Haviland
Hall, #7400, Berkeley, CA 94720-7400, USA.
Email: sterzing@berkeley.edu
696864JIV XX X 10.1177/0886260517696864Journal of Interpersonal ViolenceSterzing et al.
research-article 2017