Highly irritable teens are more likely to bully others, but anxiety mitigates this tendency

A study of adolescents found that social anxiety weakens the association between irritability and bullying perpetration. In other words, highly irritable adolescents were more likely to bully others—but this link was weaker among those who also had symptoms of social anxiety. The paper was published in Development and Psychopathology.

Bullying among adolescents is a deliberate and repeated form of aggressive behavior intended to harm, intimidate, or control another person perceived as vulnerable. It can be physical, verbal, relational (e.g., social exclusion), or digital (cyberbullying). Bullying is most often discussed in the context of school environments but can also occur online or in other social settings. It typically involves a power imbalance between the perpetrator and the victim.

Several factors contribute to bullying perpetration. Exposure to violence or aggression at home can normalize aggressive behavior. Peer dynamics also play a significant role, as adolescents may bully to gain approval or status within a group. Psychological factors such as poor emotion regulation and low empathy are linked to a higher risk of bullying. School climate and weak adult supervision may also increase the likelihood of bullying. In some countries, exposure to bullying is among the top factors influencing academic performance.

Study author Michael T. Perino and his colleagues sought to replicate findings from previous research showing that anxiety can moderate the relationship between irritability and bullying perpetration. Earlier studies suggested that while irritability is linked to a higher likelihood of bullying others, the strength of this association may depend on anxiety. The authors of the current study hypothesized that this moderating effect would be specific to social anxiety, rather than anxiety more broadly.

Participants were adolescents enrolled in the Preschool Depression Study, a long-term research project conducted at Washington University School of Medicine. These participants were originally recruited as preschoolers but were assessed again in early adolescence. The current study used data from 169 adolescents, with an average age of about 12 to 13 years.

Researchers assessed participants’ anxiety symptoms using the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia – Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL). Irritability was measured using the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment, and bullying behavior was reported by parents using the Health and Behavior Questionnaire. All measures were based on either clinician interviews or parent reports.

The results showed that adolescents who engaged in more bullying behavior tended to be more irritable and less socially anxious. As expected, bullying perpetration was not significantly associated with generalized anxiety. Irritable adolescents were also more likely to show generalized aggression (such as fighting), which was associated with higher generalized anxiety but not with social anxiety.

The researchers then tested a statistical model to examine whether social anxiety moderated the relationship between irritability and bullying. The analysis supported this hypothesis: as social anxiety increased, the link between irritability and bullying became weaker. At low levels of social anxiety, irritability was strongly linked to bullying. But at higher levels of social anxiety, that link diminished or even reversed.

“This study demonstrates that social anxiety significantly impacts the relationship between irritability and bully perpetration. Bully perpetration is a persistent and damaging problem, and current interventions have positive, albeit small, effects,” the study authors concluded.

The study sheds light on the role of social anxiety in bullying behaviors. However, it should be noted that the design of this study does not allow any causal inferences to be derived from the results. While it is possible that irritability makes one more likely to bully others, it might also be the case that successfully bullying others can make an adolescent more irritable. Other explanations of the nature of these relationships also remain open.

The paper “Social anxiety moderates the association between adolescent irritability and bully perpetration” was authored by Michael T. Perino, Jennifer C. Harper-Lednicky, Alecia C. Vogel, Chad M. Sylvester, Deanna M. Barch, and Joan L. Luby.