Is low empathy related to bullying after controlling for individual and social background variables?

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between low empathy and bullying while also controlling for the impact of a number of other individual and social background variables linked with bullying. This included the relationship to the prevalence of bullying, but also to the frequency and type of bullying. Questionnaires were completed by 720 adolescents (344 females, 376 males) aged 13-17 in three secondary schools in England. The results suggested that low affective empathy was independently related to bullying by males, but not females. There was no evidence that low cognitive empathy was independently related to bullying, but high impulsivity was related to all forms of male bullying and to female bullying. The implications of the findings for research and practice are discussed.