From Schoolyard to Cyberspace: An Examination of Bullying Victimization and Adolescent Cyber Delinquency

A growing body of research has examined the relationship between bullying victimization and subsequent delinquency; however, few studies have explored this association in the context of online delinquent behaviors. Moreover, most research has focused on Western societies, with limited attention to East Asian settings. This study investigates how verbal and relational bullying victimization influences adolescents’ online delinquency using five-wave longitudinal data from the Korea Youth Panel Survey ( N = 2,982). Results from multilevel negative binomial regression models revealed that while within-individual effects of bullying experiences had no significant impact, there were substantial between-individual differences, with victims showing significantly higher levels of online delinquency compared to non-victims. Further, more frequent experiences of verbal bullying were associated with higher levels of online delinquency. These findings suggest the link between bullying victimization and online delinquency reflects long-term accumulated experiences rather than short-term reactions, emphasizing the need for sustained intervention strategies beyond immediate support.