Suzanne Vassallo

Bullying in early adolescence and its association with anti-social behaviour, criminality and violence 6 and 10 years later.

BACKGROUND Few longitudinal studies have examined the links between engagement in bullying and later anti-social behaviour for both males and females. AIMS This study aimed to examine the association between adolescent bullying behaviour and subsequent anti-social behaviour, among a community sample of Australian males and females. METHODS Regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between bullying perpetration at age 13-14 and anti-social behaviour, criminal violence and contact with police or courts 6 and 10 years later among approximately 800 young adults participating in a 27-year longitudinal study. The analyses controlled for known risk factors for anti-social behaviour at age 13-14 years. RESULTS Moderate significant associations were found between bullying perpetration and subsequent anti-social behaviour. Associations were more powerful for males than females, and for short-term than long-term outcomes. Engagement in bullying remained a significant predictor of later anti-social behaviour and contact with police or courts even after other risk factors were accounted for. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that bullying in adolescence may be a marker of risk for a continuing pattern of anti-social behaviour, particularly among young males.

Risky driving among young Australian drivers II: Co-occurrence with other problem behaviours

This study examined the co-occurrence of risky driving with a range of externalising and internalising problems among 1055 young Australian drivers participating in an ongoing, 23-year longitudinal study. This issue was examined by: (1) investigating the co-occurrence of risky driving and other problem outcomes at 19-20 years; (2) exploring the rate of single and multiple problems among high, moderate and low young risky drivers and (3) investigating connections between risky driving in early adulthood and adolescent problem behaviours. Concurrent and longitudinal associations between risky driving and both substance use (alcohol, cigarette and marijuana use, binge drinking) and antisocial behaviour were found. However, risky driving generally appeared unrelated to internalising problems (depression, anxiety) and early sexual activity. Overall, young risky drivers varied considerably in the number and types of problem behaviours exhibited, although the great majority (70%) had displayed at least one other type of problem behaviour.

Bullying in Early Adolescence and Antisocial Behavior and Depression Six Years Later: What Are the Protective Factors?

This study identified factors that protected (a) adolescent bullies from becoming antisocial young adults, and (b) adolescent victims of bullying from subsequent depression. Data were drawn from the Australian Temperament Project, a population birth cohort study that has followed participants since 1983. Systematic examination of potential risk modifiers (protective factors) was conducted within a regression framework. Low negative reactivity was found to protect bullies from later antisocial outcomes and higher parental monitoring moderated (ameliorated) the risk relation between bullying and antisocial behavior. High social skills and understanding schoolwork protected victims from later depression, but high attachment to peers intensified the risk relation between victimization and later depression. Preventive interventions targeting interpersonal skills and parent and peer relationships may be effective in reducing adverse outcomes of bullying.

The longitudinal prediction of alcohol consumption-related harms among young adults

This study explores the longitudinal pathways by which risk and protective factors influence the development of alcohol-related harms in a representative community sample of 941 young adults (19–20 years) from Victoria, Australia, focusing on the role of concurrent risky drinking. Impulsivity at 15–16 years, alcohol-related harms at 15–16 years and 17–18 years, frequency of intoxication at 17–18 years, and antisocial behavior, friends’ drinking and living arrangements at 19–20 years were directly related to alcohol-related harms, as well as indirectly related to harms through increased risky drinking. Paternal drinking at 17–18 years was directly related to alcohol-related harms. Friends’ drinking at 19–20 years and alcohol-related harms at age 17–18 interacted with risky drinking to increase the likelihood of alcohol-related harms. Implications for intervention efforts are discussed.

Individual differences in the concordance of self-reports and official records

BACKGROUND Although self-reported and official measures of criminal behaviour are highly correlated, the concordance between self-reports and official records appears to vary across the population. Few studies, however, have considered the range of individual traits and characteristics that might influence the relative accuracy of self-reports and official records. METHOD Using data collected from the Australian Temperament Project, we investigated the concordance between official records and self-reports together with some of the factors that might influence it. RESULTS Those with criminal records were 3.5 times more likely to report police contact than those with no criminal record. However, there were significant sources of individual-level variation in their convergence, and notably honest respondents were less likely to report an interaction with police. Those at risk of crime and delinquency were less likely to consent to official records searches. CONCLUSIONS Many individual characteristics that predisposed individuals towards a criminal career also affected their willingness to consent to official records searches and the concordance between criminal records and self-reports.

Stability of risky driving from late adolescence to early adulthood

This study examined the stability of risky driving behaviour from late adolescence to early adulthood among 823 young Australian drivers participating in an ongoing longitudinal study. This issue was explored by examining the stability of risky driving between the ages of 19-20 and 23-24 years (1) across the cohort and (2) among individuals. Focusing on cohort-wide trends, a modest reduction in the occurrence of speeding was observed across the sample between 19-20 and 23-24 years. However, drink-driving increased markedly over this period, and driving without a seatbelt or helmet for part of a trip also rose. Rates of other risky driving behaviours remained relatively unchanged. With regard to trends among individuals, while a decrease was evident in the risky driving propensities of many who had been classified as moderate or high risky drivers at age 19-20, 48% of the former group, and 77% of the latter group, still exhibited risky driving tendencies at 23-24 years. Together, these findings suggest a fair degree of stability in risky driving from late adolescence to early adulthood among this sample of Australian youth, highlighting the continuing need for road safety initiatives targeting young drivers beyond their first years of licensure.