Individual and social network predictors of the short-term stability of bullying victimization in the United Kingdom and Germany.
Sapouna M, Wolke D, Vannini N, Watson S, Woods S, Schneider W, Enz S, Aylett R.
Source
Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
There is still relatively little research on the social context within which bullying develops and remains stable.
AIM:
This study examined the short-term stability of bullying victimization among primary school students in the United Kingdom and Germany (mean age, 8.9 years) and the individual and social network factors that contributed to remaining a victim of bullying.
SAMPLE:
The sample consisted of 454 children (247 males and 207 females).
METHODS:
Participants completed questionnaires on bullying victimization at three assessment points over a 9-week period. Other measures consisted of self-reported demographic, peer, and family relationship characteristics. Social network indices of density, reciprocity, and hierarchy were constructed using friendship and peer acceptance nominations.
RESULTS:
Relative risk analyses indicated a six-fold increased risk of remaining a victim at consequent follow-ups, compared to a child not victimized at baseline becoming a victim over the follow-up period. Individual characteristics explained substantially more variance in the stability ofbullying victimization than class-level factors. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses revealed that being victimized by siblings and being rejected by peers predicted remaining a victim over a 9-week period.
CONCLUSIONS:
Bullying victimization among primary school students proved moderately stable over a 9-week period. Individual characteristics were more influential in predicting the stable victim role than class-level factors. Our findings have implications for the identification of stable victims in primary school and early preventative bullying programs.
The influence of norms and social identities on children's responses to bullying.
Jones SE, Bombieri L, Livingstone AG, Manstead AS.
Source
School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Wales, UK. Jonesse21@cardiff.ac.uk
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Research on bullying increasingly focuses on social processes, showing that group membership affects children's responses tobullying scenarios. Additionally, correlational research has shown links between norms of cooperation and prosocial behaviour, and between competition and more aggressive forms of behaviour.
AIMS:
This paper focuses on how children's peer group membership affects their group-based emotions in response to an intergroup bullying incident, and the action tendencies that these emotions predict, in the context of different background norms (for competitive or cooperative behaviour).
SAMPLE:
Italian schoolchildren, 10-13 years old (N= 128, 65 males) took part in this study.
METHODS:
Participants were randomly assigned to the group of a perpetrator, target, or third-party group member described in a scenario. Next, they played a game designed to induce a cooperative, competitive, or neutral norm, and read the scenario. They then answered a questionnaire measuring their group-based emotions.
RESULTS:
Results underscored the role of norms and group processes in responses to bullying. In particular, children exposed to a cooperative norm expressed less pride and more regret and anger about the bullying than those in other conditions.
CONCLUSIONS:
This study indicates that the influence peer groups have on bullying may be tempered by the introduction of a cooperative normative context to the school setting.
Am J Community Psychol. 2012 Jun;49(3-4):332-46. doi: 10.1007/s10464-011-9461-y.
Preliminary examination of a cartoon-based hostile attributional bias measure for urban African American boys.
Department of Pediatric Psychology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. leff@email.chop.edu
Abstract
The current study illustrates how researchers developed and validated a cartoon-based adaptation of a written hostile attributional bias measure for a sample of urban, low-income, African American boys. A series of studies were conducted to develop cartoon illustrations to accompany a standard written hostile attributional bias vignette measure (Study 1), to determine initial psychometric properties (Study 2) and acceptability (Study 3), and to conduct a test-retest reliability trial of the adapted measure in a separate sample (Study 4). These studies utilize a participatory action research approach to measurement design and adaptation, and suggest that collaborations between researchers and key school stakeholders can lead to measures that are psychometrically strong, developmentally appropriate, and culturally sensitive. In addition, the cartoon-based hostile attributional bias measure appears to have promise as an assessment and/or outcome measure for aggression and bullying prevention programs conducted with urban African American boys.
Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2012 Jun 4. [Epub ahead of print]
