Neighborhood predictors of bullying perpetration and victimization trajectories among South Korean adolescents

Aims: This study examined latent trajectories of bullying perpetration and victimization, and identified neighborhood antecedents of these trajectories among South Korean adolescents. Methods: Nationally representative individual-level data from waves 2 to 6 (middle school to high school) of the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey were merged with neighborhood-level data drawn from the Korean Census and the Korean Ministry of Education. Latent class growth analysis (N = 2,178) and logistic regression were conducted (N = 2,021). Results: Three unique trajectories of bullying experience—low-risk (80.8%), transient (13.3%), high-risk (5.9%)—were identified. Neighborhood factors (e.g., public assistance receipt, marital status, official bullying incidents, collective efficacy) predicted these distinct developmental paths. Conclusion: Joint trajectories of perpetration and victimization can inform service or policy decisions as each developmental path may represent unique experiences for youth in need of specific resources for treatment or intervention. Neighborhood indicators are important predictors of developmental trajectories of bullying experience among adolescents.