The criminal bully-linking criminal peer bullying behavior in schools to a continuum of delinquency

In light of a recent wave of anti-bullying legislation following several high-profile incidents of school violence, this study explores the criminality that is inherent in certain acts of school bullying. These acts include physical aggression, theft of property or money, and damage to property, among others. As research continues to link school bullying and childhood aggression to later delinquency and adult criminal offending, “criminal bullies” may be an especially vulnerable population for subsequent criminal justice system complications. Consequently, early identification and intervention with these children may yield better long-term outcomes. in this study of 192 students at rural elementary and middle schools, 34 children reported committing a criminal bullying act during a three-month period. This equates to 17.7% of the total sample or 48.6% of all self-identified bullies. The authors discuss the significance of these findings as well as the proposed utility of “criminal bully” as a new typology of school bullying.