Canadian study finds teenage bullies may have more sex

  • Dishonest, showy teenagers use bullying others to pursue their crushes
  • Researchers believe such adolescents may use bullying to target ‘weak’ rivals
  • Such teenagers may also use bullying to show their competition in a bad light
  • Bullying may also make rivals withdraw from competition over a partner
  • Around 28% of children and half of adults are bullied in the US every year 

Bullies may have more sex as nasty people put rivals down in an attempt to look strong and dominant in front of their love interests, new research reveals.

Researchers found dishonest, showy teenagers use bullying others to pursue their crushes, a study found.

Lead author Daniel Provenzano from the University of Windsor in Canada, said: ‘Our findings indirectly suggest that exploitative adolescents may have more sexual partners if they are able to strategically use exploitative behavior like bullying to target weaker individuals.’

Bullies may also pick on their rivals to show them in a bad light or threaten them into withdrawing from competition over a partner, the research adds.

Around 28 percent of students aged between 12 and 18 in the US report being bullied at school every year, while half of adults have been picked on at work.

Bullies may have more sex as nasty people put rivals down in an attempt to look strong (stock)

UP TO ONE IN FIVE MILLENNIALS HAVE HAD ANAL SEX COMPARED TO ONE IN 10 IN 1990 

One of the largest sex studies of millennials has revealed up to one in five have had anal sex compared to just one in 10 young people in 1990.

In a review of three UK studies of more than 45,000 people aged between 16 and 74 years old over 12 years, researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and University College London suggest teenage girls and young women are under increasing pressure to have anal sex even though they find it painful. 

Previous research reveals they are up to four times more likely to dislike the act than boys.

The study, published in the journal Adolescent Health, found some of the largest increases in the prevalence of oral and anal sex over the past decade were observed among those aged 16-to-18.

Previous studies suggest anal sex has become more common among young people due to them having greater access to pornography, however, the researchers stress this is unclear.

There is also a trend for couples not to use condoms when having non-vaginal intercourse. 

How research was carried out 

The researchers analyzed 144 people with an average age of 18 and 396 with a mean age of 14.

The study’s participants completed questionnaires about their sex lives and number of sexual partners, as well as their history of bullying.

Another questionnaire asked the participants about their personalities, including their willingness to cooperate or exploit others.

Their ability to exploit others was measured by assessing how emotionally in tune, humble and honest they are.

‘Adolescents may have more sexual partners if they use bullying’

Results reveal younger people who lack honesty and humility are more likely to use bullying to pursue sexual partners.

Mr Provenzano said: ‘Our findings indirectly suggest that exploitative adolescents may have more sexual partners if they are able to strategically use exploitative behavior like bullying to target weaker individuals.’

The researchers believe adolescents may use bullying as a technique to show their strength and dominance to attract their love interests.

Bullying may also be used to show their rivals in a bad light or threaten them into withdrawing from competition over a partner.

Mr Provenzano said: ‘Our results suggest that both research and intervention efforts with older and younger adolescents need to recognize and respond to the relationships between personality, sex and bullying.’ 

The findings were published in the journal Evolutionary Psychological Science. 



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