Youth bullying is often considered a pathway to delinquency. However, not all youths who engage in bullying continue on to future delinquency. Research suggests that various behavioral trajectories exist, including adolescent-limited delinquency. The authors explore the mechanisms for onset and desistance of this specific type of consequential youth behavior. They assess responses from self-identified perpetrators regarding bullying participation during high school using open-ended survey items. These self-identified bullies provided descriptions of the internal process and social context that lead them to initiate bullying behaviors during high school (N = 162). Importantly, respondents also provided a reflective description of desistance from bullying behaviors (N = 143). Overall, perpetrator responses suggest that mechanisms for first engaging in bullying behavior fit within the neutralization/moral disengagement framework. Respondents typically described a personal or social scenario that allowed them to feel justified in their behavior. Interestingly, descriptions of desistance from bullying included highlighted both personal maturity and life-course turning points. In this sample, bullying appears to be limited to adolescence, with the majority of offenders aging out or identifying concrete time points when they desisted. School programming should focus on preventing disengagement/neutralization and promoting awareness.
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