Personality as consequence and antecedent of bullying victimization in adolescence: A cross-lagged panel and genetically informed investigation

Bullying victimization is a serious problem with far-reaching consequences for the victims. Research has concluded that certain personality factors are associated with the frequency of bullying victimization experiences, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Most longitudinal research to date has primarily focused on adulthood (e.g., workplace experiences), neglecting the reciprocal effects that bullying victimization and personality may have during adolescence, a phase particularly susceptible to personality change. Hence, this project investigated the reciprocal relationship between personality factors and bullying victimization using data from TwinLife, a study with a representative sample of about 4000 German twin families. Focusing on middle adolescence (N ≈ 1500, M = 13 years), cross-lagged modeling revealed cross-sectional associations and correlated changes, but no reciprocal longitudinal relationship between certain personality dimensions and the frequency of bullying victimization. Bivariate Cholesky modeling was utilized to investigate the etiology of the cross-sectional associations. We identified common genetic causes underlying both bullying victimization and Agreeableness, Neuroticism, and Conscientiousness, which decreased with age. Thus, environmental factors, such as the social peer group and social connectedness, appeared to gain importance throughout adolescence, influencing both personality and the likelihood of experiencing victimization. Further research should incorporate and further examine environmental processes to improve our understanding of bullying victimization.