Target Congruence as a Means of Understanding the Risk of Bullying Victimization among Multicultural Family Youth in South Korea

Abstract

This study used data from the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (MAPS) to apply propositions found in target congruence theory (TCT) to self-reported bullying victimization experienced by multicultural family youth living in South Korea. Results from a sample of 1,443 multicultural family youth show that indicators of target vulnerability (e.g., depression and acculturative stress) and target antagonism (e.g., Korean ability and perceptions toward South Korea) significantly predict school bullying victimization in the theoretically expected directions. Directly, our results highlight the importance of considering variables specific to children with multicultural backgrounds when developing anti-bullying campaigns. Broadly, our results suggest that propositions outlined in TCT may be useful when implementing programs intended to prevent victimization.