Although a large body of criminological studies have examined trajectories of offending, only a handful of studies have attempted to explore victimization trajectories. The purpose of the current study is to use group-based modeling to explore victimization trajectories among Korean youth and to identify factors that protect and jeopardize victims over the life course. The present study uses data from five waves of Korean Youth Panel Survey (KYPS). Results show three distinct victimization trajectories and identify several risk and protective factors of repeat victimization. Suggestions for future research are discussed.

Despite a recent growth in studies on cyberbullying, extant knowledge on the underlying mechanisms of cyberbullying remain limited. The objective of the present study is to explore the dynamics of cyberbullying via traditional bullying, self-control, and delinquent peer association. Specifically, the following hypotheses guide the present study: (1) traditional bullying, low self-control, and delinquent peer association are predictive of cyberbullying, respectively, (2) the interaction between traditional bullying and low self-control has a significant impact on cyberbullying, and (3) the interaction between traditional bullying and delinquent peer association has a significant impact on cyberbullying. The present study relies on five waves of the Korean Youth Panel Survey (KYPS), a representative sample of South Korean adolescents. Data collection occurred annually and respondents were 14 years old at the first wave in 2003. KYPS is an almost gender-equal and racially/ethnically homogenous sample. Results of cross-lagged dynamic panel models show (1) significant effects of traditional bullying on cyberbullying with and without low self-control and delinquent peer affiliation, (2) the respective roles of self-control and delinquent peer association in the prediction of cyberbullying, and (3) an interaction effect between low self-control and traditional bullying on cyberbullying. These findings demonstrate the theoretical validity of self-control theory and social learning theory in online delinquent behavior as well as confirm their cross-cultural generalizability in a non-Western sample. The findings also highlight the importance of investing in early life-course prevention/intervention programs and policies to prevent and/or reduce the occurrence of bullying, regardless of whether it is being perpetrated face-to-face or online, and these programs and policies should also target components to improve self-control and reduce delinquent peer associations.

This study aims to explore joint trajectories of parental supervision and cyberbullying for boys and girls, respectively. Drawing on a longitudinal sample of South Korean youth, we employ a latent group-based trajectory modeling approach to examine overlapping patterns of parental supervision and cyberbullying trajectories, and gender differences in the bivariate overlap. We found that boys with higher levels of parental supervision were more likely to be in the Noninvolved cyberbullying group, whereas girls with the highest level of parental supervision tended to engage in cyberbullying at an early age but soon desisted from it after the initial involvement. Results suggest that effects of parental supervision on cyberbullying may vary across gender.

Objectives: By drawing on cumulative influences of labeling in Western samples, this study examined the relationship between first-time arrest and delinquency and educational attainment in South Korea, a unique cultural context characterized by a heightened focus on education. Method: Propensity score matching was employed to match arrested and nonarrested juveniles. After the groups were balanced on 58 covariates, the matched sample was used to assess the influence of arrest on delinquency and on college enrollment with consideration of the mediating processes of the labeling mechanism and educational characteristics. Results: For a short period, arrest was significantly related to subsequent delinquency, although this association did not persist into the consecutive year. Arrest did not adversely influence college enrollment. The mediating models showed that arrest had a negative influence on deviant self-identity and educational characteristics; however, these associations did not extend to subsequent delinquency and educational attainment. Conclusions: Formal sanction experiences have a more imminent impact on amplifying deviance for arrestees, but this influence does not seem to last long term. Results imply that an education system with a tolerant atmosphere may serve as a buffer against labeling effects and highlight the importance of school context in shaping delinquent behavior.

No abstract