Bullying Victimization and School Outcomes of US Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Extracurricular Activities

PURPOSE: Many positive outcomes of extracurricular activities on children and adolescents have been explored. However, research on the protective role of extracurricular activities on children's bullying is limited. The current study explored whether participating in extracurricular activities moderates the association between bullying victimization and skipping classes, receiving lower grades, and fighting in school. DESIGN AND METHODS: The sample includes 6199 adolescents from the National Crime Victimization Survey. Analyses included descriptive statistics, linear regression, and binary logistic regression. RESULTS: Results partially supported the hypothesis that participating in extracurricular activities would moderate the association between bullying and school outcomes. Participating in extracurricular activities was found to moderate the association between bullying victimization and receiving lower grades. In other words, adolescents who participate in extracurricular activities are less likely to receive lower grades, even when bullied, which might suggest that such participation can motivate them to stay focused on their academics. Participating in extracurricular activities, however, did not moderate the association between bullying victimization and skipping classes. Participating in extracurricular activities was also not found to moderate the association between bullying victimization and fighting in school. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The current study highlights the need for further research on the role of extracurricular activities in school bullying, with implications for school-based practice.