Bullying victimization and the social and emotional maladjustment of bystanders: A propensity score analysis

Can school climate or peer preference moderate the adjustment difficulties associated with peer victimization among Chinese middle school students?

Most research on peer victimization has focused on Western samples, but in recent years peer victimization in China has become more prevalent. As a result, limited information is available on how peer victimization, school climate, peer preference, and adjustment difficulties impact Chinese middle school students. This cross-sectional study explored these relations. With a sample of 734 7th and 8th-grade students (54.1% male, 45.8% female) from two middle schools in Beijing, China, findings revealed that peer victimization and peer preference predicted adjustment difficulties; however, school climate did not. Although peer preference was not a significant moderator of the association between peer victimization and adjustment difficulties, school climate significantly moderated the relation between relational peer victimization and adjustment difficulties. Limitations, future directions, and implications are further discussed.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Peer Victimization in a National Sample of Chilean Children and Youth

This research aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of peer victimization (PV) in a national sample of Chilean children and youth. We worked with secondary data of Encuesta Nacional de Polivictimización (2017). The sample was probabilistic and included 19,684 participants between 12 and 18 years (M = 14.7, SD = 1.59) from all Chilean regions. The participants answered an adapted version of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire to assess different violence forms. However, for the present study, only five items related to PV were considered. The results showed that a lifetime and the last 12 months' prevalence of PVwerevery high. More than half of the adolescents (60.3%) reported at least one type of victimization by peers throughout a lifetime. Gender differences were found; females have the highest rates of PV than males. These results have discussed the magnitude of this issue and promote the generation of prevention strategies.

Does Bullying Attitude Matter in School Bullying among Adolescent Students: Evidence from 34 OECD Countries

There is a need to study the relationship between adolescent bullying attitudes and school bullying behavior to reduce instances of bullying in schools. Based on the Program for International Student Assessment 2018 (PISA 2018), this study investigated the relationship between adolescent bullying attitudes towards different roles and school bullying behavior. Among 34 OECD countries, it also studied the mediating roles of student cooperation and competition, and adolescent bullying attitudes based on gender, grade, and whether one was a bullying victim. We adopted the Coarsened Exact Matching (CEM) method to control the effects of confounders on evaluation results. Overall, the results showed that bullied adolescents’ attitudes towards bullying followers and non-bullied adolescents’ attitudes towards bullying bystanders and defenders were more positively associated with school bullying behavior. Student cooperation partially mediated this relationship and student competition played the suppressor. The findings also provided fresh insights into anti-school bullying campaigns and practices.

Indirect Associations between Middle-Childhood Externalizing Behaviors and Adolescent Substance Use through Late-Childhood Exposure to Violence

Longitudinal research to understand individual risk factors in childhood associated with exposure to violence and substance use is needed to inform prevention efforts. The present study tested indirect associations between age 8.5 externalizing behaviors and age 16 substance use through age 9.5 violence victimization and witnessing. Participants were 650 racially diverse (48.6% European American, 28.1% African American, 13.3% multiracial, and 10.0% other), predominantly socioeconomically disadvantaged youth (49% female). Externalizing behaviors were associated with higher levels of violence victimization and witnessing. The indirect path from externalizing behaviors to substance use was significant through victimization but not witnessing violence. Interventions aimed at reducing early externalizing behaviors may reduce risk for violence victimization, which may, in turn, reduce risk for adolescent substance use.

Dimensions of empathy and bystander intervention in bullying in elementary school

The current study investigated associations among cognitive empathy, affective empathy, internalizing problems, and the five steps of the bystander intervention model (notice bullying events, interpret as an event requiring intervention, accept responsibility for intervening, know how to intervene, and act). Participants included 336 fourth and fifth grade students (58.9% boys) at a school in the Midwest region of the United States. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that greater cognitive empathy was related to noticing bullying events, accepting responsibility to intervene, and knowing how to intervene. Affective empathy was significantly related to the actual act of intervention. Further, significant interactions revealed that affective empathy was positively associated with interpreting bullying as an event that required intervention at low and moderate levels of internalizing problems, but not at high levels of internalizing problems. Overall these findings underscore the need to examine the decision to intervene as the culmination of a series of steps as outlined in the bystander intervention model, with each step potentially influenced by a unique set of precursors.

A novel tool showing that perceptions of adverse social relationships in childhood were linked with mental health problems and suicidal experiences: Validation of the English version of the History of Social Punishment (HoSP) scale

There is robust evidence for relationships between adverse events experienced in childhood and mental health problems experienced as an adult. However, the measurement of perceptions of different types of adverse relationships in childhood, especially those that are in social contexts, is lacking. Given the absence of an appropriate tool to measure perceptions of adverse social relationships in childhood within English-speaking populations, we endeavored to examine the construct validity of the English version of the History of Social Punishment (HoSP) scale. In total, 557 adults from the extant community participated by completing self-report scales that measured perceptions of adverse childhood relationships, symptoms of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), hoarding disorder (HD), body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), and suicidal experiences. Results demonstrated that the HoSP is a sound psychometric tool to evaluate perceptions of adverse social relationships within English-speaking populations. A strong association between perceptions of adverse social relationships in childhood, common mental health problems, and suicidal behaviors was established. These results provide robust evidence for the importance of screening for experiences of social adversities and for developing clinical interventions that directly target these experiences.

Forgiveness, Gratitude, Happiness, and Prosocial Bystander Behavior in Bullying

The relationships among character strengths (forgiveness and gratitude), happiness, and prosocial bystander behavior in bullying were analyzed. The sample includes 500 (early adolescents) and 500 (middle adolescents) of both genders, between 12 and 18 years old (M age = 14.70, SD = 1.58). Two structural equation models were calculated. Results of the first model indicated that forgiveness, gratitude, and happiness had a direct positive relation with prosocial bystander behavior. Furthermore, human strengths were indirectly related to prosocial behavior in bullying for this effect in happiness. The second model showed that prosocial bystander behavior had a positive effect on human strengths and happiness. Multigroup analyses indicated that gender and stage of adolescence did not moderate the relations found in the model. Overall findings suggest a reciprocal relationship between character strengths, happiness, and prosocial bystander behavior.

Predicting Bullying through Motivation and Teaching Styles in Physical Education

From the theoretical framework offered by the self-determination theory, the objective of the study was to test a predictor model of bullying behaviors based on the physical education teacher’s supportive style, the students’ satisfaction of basic psychological needs, and self-determined motivation. A total of 608 students of both sexes, between 11 and 15 years of age, from primary and secondary schools in the province of Alicante (Spain) voluntarily completed questionnaires to measure each of the variables under study. The design of the study was cross-sectional. The results showed that the autonomy supportive style positively predicted the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, which, in turn, positively predicted self-determined motivation towards physical education. The latter negatively predicted bullying perpetration and bullying victimization. The controlling style presented inverse relationships to those of the autonomy supportive style. These results are in line with the positions of the self-determination theory and underline the potential responsibility of physical education teachers in the struggle against bullying, and how, by supporting autonomy and avoiding a controlling style, they can help reduce bullying perpetration and victimization.

Witnessing Bullying at School: The Association between Being a Bystander and Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms

It is well documented that bullying victimization and perpetration are associated with mental health problems, including anxiety and depressive symptoms. Although the majority of students report witnessing bullying as bystanders, very few studies have investigated if negative consequences associated with bullying extend beyond targets and perpetrators to students who are bystanders. The present study examined the association between witnessing bullying and anxiety and depressive symptoms among middle school students. Middle school students (N = 130; grades 6th through 8th) completed questionnaires assessing experiences as a bystander, target, and perpetrator of bullying, as well as anxiety and depressive symptoms. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to determine if bystander status was associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms over and above the effects of victimization and perpetration and to examine bullying victimization and perpetration as moderators of these relationships. Analyses indicated being a bystander was associated with higher levels of anxiety (β = .40, p < .001) and depressive symptoms (β = .37, p < .001) even after controlling for frequency of being a target or perpetrator of bullying. Bystanders who were also targets of bullying reported the highest level of depressive symptoms; however, being a target of bullying did not moderate the relationship between being a bystander and anxiety. Furthermore, bullying perpetration did not moderate the relationship between being a bystander and anxiety or depressive symptoms. Findings indicate witnessing bullying uniquely contributes to anxiety and depressive symptoms for middle school students. For student bystanders who are also targets of bullying, depressive symptoms may be particularly high due to co-victimization or re-victimization experienced when witnessing bullying.

Bullying bystander behaviors: The role of coping effectiveness and the moderating effect of gender

Researchers have suggested that bystander behaviors and victim coping play an important role in counteracting the negative effects of bullying. The current study investigated the relationship between students' ratings of coping effectiveness when addressing bullying and their behaviors as bystanders when witnessing bullying. Surveys were administered in a Midwestern, suburban school district. Some associations between perceptions of coping effectiveness and bystander behavior supported our hypotheses (e.g., constructive coping associated with defending bystander behaviors, externalizing associated with pro-bullying behaviors). However, some findings did not support hypothesized relationships. For example, higher ratings of effectiveness for cognitive distancing as a coping strategy were associated with increased defending behaviors as a bystander. Gender moderated some of these relationships. Pro-bullying bystander behavior was associated with increased ratings of cognitive distancing and decreased reports of constructive coping effectiveness for girls. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

The association between school bullying victimization and substance use among adolescents in Malawi: the mediating effect of loneliness

Background and objectives Research has shown an increased prevalence of substance use among adolescents in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Peer affiliation, bullying, and psychological stress are significantly associated with substance use. This study empirically tested theoretical frameworks linking peer affiliation, bullying victimization, loneliness and substance use (specifically tobacco or alcohol use) among adolescents. Materials and methods Data were obtained from the 2009 Malawi Global School-based Health Survey (GSHS) with a representative sample of 2359 students aged 13-17 years in Malawi, Sub-Saharan Africa. Missing data were handled using multiple imputation. The study conducted path analyses using Mplus to test the conceptual models of tobacco use and alcohol use. Results The results showed that loneliness partially mediated the association between bullying victimization and tobacco use in the first model, as well as the relationship between bullying victimization and alcohol use in the second model. Results indicated statistically significant indirect paths from bullying victimization to tobacco use and alcohol use through the mediation of loneliness. However, peer affiliation did not directly predict bullying victimization in the two path models; it directly predicted tobacco use only. Conclusions These findings have important implications in early intervention for health practitioners in school and mental health settings to prevent feelings of loneliness and substance use among adolescents who have experience with bullying victimization but no experience with depression, alcohol use or tobacco use.

Cyberbullying and Traditional Bullying

This study sought to advance the authors' understanding of the relationship between traditional bullying (i.e., verbal and physical) and cyberbullying. Data were collected from 1,182 participants, ages 13 to 25 (M = 19.66; SD = 3.03) from 75 different countries via an on-line, world-wide survey. Results found that participants experienced both in-person bullying and cyberbullying (i.e., poly-victimization). Additionally, bisexual, pansexual, or queer participants reported more frequent cyberbullying victimization when compared to both heterosexual and gay or lesbian participants. Sexual minority participants also reported victimization through significantly more electronic sources. Specifically, gay and lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, and queer participants reported higher numbers of victimization modalities when compared to heterosexual participants. Results from this study expand the authors' awareness of the poly-victimization experiences of youth and young adults and fill in important gaps in understanding these experiences for diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.

Bullying participant roles and gender as predictors of bystander intervention

Although the importance of peer bystanders in bullying has been recognized, there are few studies that examine the phenomenon in relation to Latané and Darley's (1970) classic Bystander Intervention Model, which states that there are five stages of bystander intervention: (i) notice the event; (ii) interpret the event as an emergency that requires assistance; (iii) accept responsibility for intervening; (iv) know how to intervene or provide help; and (v) implement intervention decisions. This study examined preliminary evidence of reliability and validity of the Bystander Intervention Model in Bullying (Nickerson, Aloe, Livingston, & Feeley, 2014), and the extent to which bullying role behavior (bullying, assisting, victimization, defending, and outsider behavior) and gender predicted each step of the model with a sample of 299 middle school students. Results of a Confirmatory Factor Analysis supported a five-factor structure of the measure corresponding to the steps of the model. There was evidence of convergent validity and Cronbach alpha for each subscale exceeded .75. In addition, students who reported defending their peers were more likely to also engage in all five steps of the bystander intervention model, while victims were more likely to notice events, and outsiders were less likely to intervene. Gender differences and gender interactions were also found. Aggr. Behav. 43:281-290, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Classroom relationship qualities and social-cognitive correlates of defending and passive bystanding in school bullying in Sweden: A multilevel analysis

Using the social-ecological and social cognitive theories as integrated guiding frameworks, the present study examined whether moral disengagement and defender self-efficacy at the individual level, and moral disengagement, quality of teacher-student relationships and quality of student-student relationships at the classroom level were associated with passive bystanding and defending in bullying situations. Participants were 900 Swedish students from 43 classrooms, ranging in age from 9 to 13years. Multilevel regression analyses revealed that passive reactions by bystanders were associated with greater moral disengagement and less defender self-efficacy. Defending, in turn, was associated with less moral disengagement and greater defender self-efficacy and classroom student-student relationship quality. Furthermore, students who scored high in moral disengagement were even less prone to defend victims when the classroom student-student relationship quality was low, but more prone to act as defenders when the classroom student-student relationship quality was high. In addition, the negative association between defender self-efficacy and passive bystanding was stronger both in classrooms with higher student-student relationship quality and in those with lower class moral disengagement. Implications for prevention are discussed.