Aggression, social cognitions, anger and sadness in bullies and victims

Peer Victimization and Callous-Unemotional Traits: The Impact of Parents and Teachers

Research on the link between peer victimization and callous-unemotional (CU) traits has primarily relied on cross-sectional designs and yielded equivocal findings. In light of the poor outcomes related to peer victimization and CU traits, it is important to determine whether this link is reciprocal in nature and to identify factors that may influence its strength. Accordingly, the current study investigated the bidirectional association between peer victimization and CU traits over a 6-month period, accounting for the moderating effects of parents (i.e., support and hostility) and teachers (i.e., support and conflict). Participants included 284 third- through fifth-grade students (ages 7-12; 51.8% boys; 51.1% Hispanic) and their homeroom teachers. Children provided ratings of peer victimization, parental hostility, and parent and teacher support. Teachers provided ratings of CU traits and student-teacher conflict. A series of cross-lagged panel models were estimated. Results revealed that, at higher levels of parental hostility, peer victimization predicted increases in CU traits over time; in contrast, peer victimization predicted decreases in CU traits at lower levels of parental hostility. Surprisingly, at higher levels of teacher conflict, peer victimization predicted decreases in CU traits over time. CU traits did not interact with parent or teacher variables to predict subsequent peer victimization. Moreover, parental hostility was positively associated with subsequent peer victimization, whereas teacher support predicted decreases in victimization over time. These findings build on previous research examining environmental influences on the expression of CU traits by highlighting peer victimization and parental hostility as potential risk factors.

Interpersonal sensitivity as a mediator linking interpersonal stressors and social anxiety: Longitudinal mediation analysis using parallel process latent growth curve modeling

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the mechanism between interpersonal stressors and social anxiety in college students. This study was to investigate the mediating effect of interpersonal sensitivity between interpersonal stressors and social anxiety.

METHODS

The data was taken from a large-scale health-related cohort among Chinese college students. This study used data from the first four waves, including 4191 participants. The latent growth curve mediation model was used to examine the potential mediating role of interpersonal sensitivity in the relationship between interpersonal stressors and social anxiety over time.

RESULTS

Both levels and changes in interpersonal stressors were positively associated with subsequent levels and changes in social anxiety. Mediation analysis showed that interpersonal sensitivity mediated the relationship between interpersonal stressors and social anxiety.

LIMITATION

All variables were collected based on self-report.

CONCLUSIONS

Interpersonal stressor is a significant risk factor for social anxiety, and this association appears to be mediated by interpersonal sensitivity. It is necessary to evaluate and intervene against interpersonal sensitivity related to interpersonal stressors for the prevention of social anxiety.

Effects of victimization and perpetration in observing bullying scenes: an eye-tracker study{es}: Efectos de la victimización y la perpetración en la observación de escenas de acoso: un estudio con eye-tracker

Introduction

Previous research showed that bullying experiences are associated with different ways of interpreting and behaving in bullying dynamics. However, it remains uncertain whether these distinctions can already be present during the first step of information processing: the allocation of attention.

Aims

The study explored attentional patterns of Italian students with different bullying experiences in daily life while observing different roles represented through bullying vignettes.

Methods

Participants (72 students, Mage= 11.18) were categorized as victims, bully-victims, or not involved based on their scores on a self-report questionnaire. They observed 9 bullying vignettes on which different portraits were presented (bully, victim, pro-bully, defender, bystander) while the eye-tracker registered attentional indexes (fixation, visit and duration).

Results

Kruskal- Wallis and pairwise comparisons revealed a significant effect for the portraits of the bully and the pro-bully as bully-victims exhibited greater fixations and visits than victims, while students not involved showed no significant differences with the other groups.

Conclusion

Our research reveals that bully-victims focused more on threatening cues while victims diverged their gaze from them, confirming that the experience of bullying influences how they explore aggressive situations. Learning how involved students direct their attention helps us understand different responses, leading to powerful interventions.

Involvement in cyberbullying events and empathy are related to emotional responses to simulated social pain tasks

Introduction

This study aims to explore the relationship between cyberbullying involvement either as a perpetrator or a victim and emotional responses to virtual social exclusion and inclusion. Previous research has predominantly focused on the impacts of in-person bullying. Our study shifts this focus to the cyber realm.

Methods

A total of 156 adolescents living in northern Italy were recruited (Mage: 12.26; SD = 0.87; 43% female). After completing measures of empathy and involvement in cyberbullying, adolescents participated in the cyberball tasks. Latent profile analysis was used to identify subgroups.

Results

We found three groups: Class 3, reporting negative responses to the social exclusion tasks and positive responses to the social inclusion tasks; Class 1, reporting neutral emotional responses to social inclusion and negative emotional responses to social exclusion; and Class 2, showing neutral responses to 'social exclusion' tasks and strongly positive responses to 'social inclusion' tasks. Linear regression revealed that cyberbullies report a typical emotional response to exclusion and inclusion tasks (Class 3), whereas cybervictims are more likely to report negative responses to both exclusion and inclusion events (Class 1). High levels of empathy are associated with the manifestation of a typical emotional response (Class 3), in contrast to an impaired emotional response characterized by neutral or positive responses to conditions of 'social exclusion' and positive responses to conditions of 'social inclusion' (Class 2).

Conclusion

Results underscore the complex interplay between cyberbullying roles and emotional responses to virtual social experiences. Theoretical implications and limitations of the research are discussed.

Do My Reactions Outweigh My Actions? The Relation between Reactive and Proactive Aggression with Peer Acceptance in Preschoolers

Aggressive behaviors negatively impact peer relations starting from an early age. However, not all aggressive acts have the same underlying motivations. Reactive aggression arises as a response to an antecedent behavior of someone else, whereas proactive aggression is initiated by the aggressor and is instrumental. In this study, we aim to understand the relation between reactive and proactive aggression and peer acceptance in preschoolers. Parents of 110 children aged between 3 and 6 years old rated their children's manifestation of reactive and proactive aggressive behaviors. To assess the children's peer acceptance score within their class, they completed a paired comparisons task. The outcomes confirmed that reactive aggression in particular is negatively related to peer acceptance at the preschool age. Our results provide insights for the needs and directions of future research and interventions.

Childhood maltreatment and homicidal ideation among Chinese early adolescents: The serial mediating role of borderline personality features and aggression

A large body of evidence linked childhood maltreatment (CM) to juvenile violence and delinquent behavior. However, little is known about the association between CM and homicidal ideation in early adolescents. This study aimed to examine that relationship and to explore the serial mediating role of borderline personality features (BPF) and aggression in that relationship in a large sample of early adolescents. A total of 5724 early adolescents (mean age: 13.5 years) were recruited from three middle schools in Anhui Province, China. The participants were invited to complete self-report questionnaires regarding their history of CM, BPF, aggression, and homicidal ideation. Mediation analyses were evaluated using structural equation modeling. A total of 669 participants (11.7%) reported homicidal ideation in the past 6 months. CM victimization was positively associated with homicidal ideation after adjusting for covariates. Furthermore, the serial mediation analysis showed a significant indirect effect of CM on homicidal ideation through BPF and subsequent aggression. Exposure to maltreatment in childhood is likely to manifest BPF and subsequently higher levels of aggression, which in turn are related to increased homicidal ideation. These findings suggest the need for early intervention for BPF and aggression in early adolescents exposed to CM to prevent the development of homicidal ideation.

Bullying victimization and internalizing and externalizing problems in school-aged children: The mediating role of sleep disturbance and the moderating role of parental attachment

BACKGROUND

Studies have shown that bullying victimization may be related to internalizing and externalizing problems; however, the mechanism underlying this relationship remains unknown. This study explored the mediating role of sleep disturbance and the moderating role of parental attachment.

METHODS

A total of 1543 Chinese primary school students (M age = 8.92 years, SD1.7 years; range, 6-12) completed bullying victimization, sleep disturbance, and parental attachment measures, and provided information on their parents' occupations. The parents or guardians (n = 1995) also completed ratings on their children's internalizing and externalizing problems.

RESULTS

It was found that bullying victimization directly affected internalizing and externalizing problems and also influenced sleep disturbance. Regardless of the parent's socioeconomic status, parental attachment was found to moderate the relationship between bullying victimization and internalizing problems.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings contribute to understanding the partial mediating mechanism of sleep disturbance in the association between bullying victimization and internalizing and externalizing problems. The protective role of parental attachment proved central to preventing internalizing problems in bullied children. Intervention programs that enhance parental attachment and improve sleep quality could assist in mitigating the impact of bullying victimization on internalizing or externalizing problems.

Attentional bias for sad facial expressions in adults with a history of peer victimization

Introduction

Previous research has indicated altered attentional processing in individuals with experiences of maltreatment or victimization in childhood and adolescence. The present study examined the impact of child and adolescent experiences of relational peer victimization on attentional processes in adulthood when confronted with emotional facial expressions.

Methods

As part of an online study, a community sample of adults completed a facial dot-probe task. In the present task, pictures of facial expressions displaying four different emotions (anger, disgust, happiness, and sadness) were used.

Results

The results of the hierarchical regression analyses showed that retrospective reports of peer victimization made a significant contribution to the prediction of facilitated orienting processes for sad facial expressions. Experiences of emotional child maltreatment, on the other hand, made a significant contribution to the prediction of attentional biases for angry facial expressions.

Discussion

Our results emphasize the relevance of experiences of emotional and relational maltreatment in childhood and in adolescence for the processing of social stimuli in adulthood. The findings regarding emotional child maltreatment are more indicative of attentional biases in the context of threat detection, whereas the altered attentional processes in peer victimization are more indicative of mood-congruent biases. These altered processes may be active in social situations and may therefore influence future social situations, behavior, feelings, and thus mental health.

Chains of tragedy: The impact of bullying victimization on mental health through mediating role of aggressive behavior and perceived social support

OBJECTIVE

Bullying is a worldwide concern for its devastating consequences. The current study focused on bullying victims, examining the effects of being bullied on mental health and the chain of mediating mechanisms among adolescents. Specifically, this study attempts to explain the relationship between bullying victimization and mental health from the perspective of maladaptive behavior and perceived social support.

METHODS

A total of 3,635 adolescents responded to questions on bullying victimization, aggressive behavior, perceived social support, and mental health measurements including anxiety, depression, and subjective well being scale combined.

RESULTS

(1) Bullying victimization was significantly correlated with aggressive behavior, perceived social support, and mental health, including anxiety, depression, and subjective well being. (2) Bullying victimization not only negatively predicts mental health levels but also has an indirect impact on mental health through three pathways: a separate mediating effect on aggressive behavior, a separate mediating effect on perceived social support, and a chain mediating effect on both.

CONCLUSION

The present results demonstrate that maladaptive behavior by bullying victims can lead to changes in their perceived social support and mental health problems. Violence begets violence and provides no constructive solutions, instead, produces a tragic chain of victimization. Further implications are discussed accordingly.

From Victims to Perpetrators of Bullying: The Role of Irrational Cognitions, Externalizing Problems, and Parental Attachment

The transition from bullying victimization to bullying perpetration is well documented in the literature. However, the mechanisms linking bullying victimization to perpetration are not fully understood. The main aim of the current study was to conduct a preliminary research investigating the indirect effects of youths bullying victimization on bullying perpetration through irrational cognitions and externalizing problems. The second aim of the study was to explore the moderating role of the type of parental attachment (secure vs. insecure) in the proposed model in explaining the association of bullying victimization and bullying perpetration. Data were collected from 269 adolescents (11-15 years; M = 11.98, SD = .68), enrolled in middle public schools from Romania. Path analysis and moderated path analysis were conducted to explore the direct and indirect effects and moderating effects, respectively. Study findings indicate that bullying victimization was indirectly related to bullying perpetration separately through youths' irrational cognition as well as through externalizing problems. The serial indirect pathway from victimization to perpetration through irrational cognitions leading further to externalizing problems was also significant. However, the type of attachment that adolescents reported having toward their parents failed to moderate the indirect pathways, since all the interaction terms were nonsignificant. These findings advance the field prevention and intervention by identifying irrational cognitions and externalizing problems as important targets that anti-bullying programs should address to stop the transition from victims of bullying to perpetrators.

Lower Levels of Classroom Aggression Predict Stronger Relations Between Peer Victimization and Reactive Versus Proactive Aggression

We examined the concurrent relations of children's reactive and proactive aggression with their experience of peer victimization. Extending previous research, we assessed these relations at both the child and classroom levels. We predicted that reactive aggression would relate positively to peer victimization, proactive aggression would relate negatively to peer victimization, and that these relations would vary with classroom levels of aggression. Participants included 1,291 fourth- and fifth-grade children (681 girls; M age = 10.14 years) and their 72 teachers from 9 schools in one public school district in the Mid-Atlantic United States. Children completed self-report measures of peer victimization and teachers completed measures of aggression for each child in their classrooms. Via two-level regression (level 1 = child; level 2 = classroom), reactive aggression related positively to peer victimization and proactive aggression related negatively to peer victimization. The positive relation between reactive aggression and peer victimization was only significant in classrooms with low levels of reactive aggression. The negative relation between proactive aggression and peer victimization was only significant in classrooms with low levels of proactive aggression. Our hypotheses were supported and offered further evidence for differential relations of reactive and proactive aggression with peer victimization at the child level, while demonstrating the important role of classroom norms for aggression in moderating these relations.

Violence exposure across multiple contexts as predictors of reactive and proactive aggression in Chinese preadolescents

Based on different functions of aggression, the conceptual distinction of reactive and proactive aggression has been proposed. It is widely acknowledged that adolescents' violence exposure contributes to later perpetration of aggressive behaviors. However, few studies have compared the effects of violence exposure on reactive/proactive aggression based on the forms (i.e., witnessing and being victimized) and the contexts (i.e., family, community, and school), especially in preadolescents. Thus, the relationship between two forms of violence exposure (witnessing and victimization) and later perpetrating reactive and proactive aggression were compared within and across three social contexts in a sample of Chinese preadolescents. Participants were 609 preadolescents 51.9% boys) recruited from five primary schools in China. Information on two forms of violence exposure across multiple contexts and demography were collected at Time 1 (M_age  = 10.65), and aggression data (i.e., reactive and proactive aggression) were collected a year later at Time 2. Results evidenced witnessing and being victimized by violence in the home were more consistently related to later perpetration of reactive and proactive aggression. Witnessing family violence was significantly associated with later perpetration of reactive aggression than witnessing violence in the community. Being victimized by violence in the community and the home were significantly associated with later perpetration of proactive aggression than school victimization. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the roles of both types of violence exposure across contexts in later perpetration of aggression during early adolescence.

Longitudinal relationships between bullying and prosocial behavior: The mediating roles of trauma-related guilt and shame

The present study examined the relationships between bullying, trauma-related guilt, trauma-related shame, and prosocial behaviors. We investigated 1,322 college students using a longitudinal approach to explore the internal mechanism between bullying, prosocial behaviors, and the probable mediating effects of trauma-related guilt and shame. The results suggested that bullying negatively predicted prosocial behaviors and that trauma-related guilt played a positive mediating role. In contrast, trauma-related shame played a negative mediating role in the relationship between bullying and prosocial behaviors. These findings indicated that trauma-related guilt and shame played adaptive and maladaptive roles after bullying victimization, which also provided a theoretical basis for the relevant intervention.

Mentalizing Emotions and Social Cognition in Bullies and Victims

Mentalizing is the ability to represent mental states to navigate the social world. A reduced mentalizing ability is a risk factor for a variety of psychological issues. Several studies indicated deficits in social cognition in bullies and victims, specifically in mentalizing anger. However, only a few studies investigated mentalizing abilities related to both anger and happiness in pre-adolescence. Our study investigated possible differences in the ability to mentalize anger and happiness in preadolescent bullies and victims, compared to a control group. We interviewed 104 preadolescents (44% males; 56% females; M = 13.2 years; SD = 0.82) and administered the Olweus Questionnaire to identify bullies and victims. We applied a narrative approach to investigate the mental state language referred to anger and happiness. The results indicated a reduced ability to mentalize anger in bullies and victims compared to controls. Both bullies and victims tended to consider anger and happiness predominantly as behavioral conditions rather than a state of mind. These results highlight the need to promote effective intervention programs to prevent bullying by enhancing appropriate mentalization of emotions in pre-adolescents.

School Principals Putting Bullying Policy to Practice

School principals must rely on state statutes and district policies to navigate reports of school bullying. Investigating reports to determine the outcomes may vary depending upon the districts definition of bullying, the investigation process, and follow through to reporting the findings of the investigation to the involved children and youth's parents. However, investigating reports can be challenging due to the confusion of what constitutes bullying. This confusion can be especially troubling for parents who believe their child is being bullied. In order to understand principals' perspectives on bullying, two focus groups were conducted with nine urban school principals. Researchers examined principals' perceptions of how state- and district-level policies were used within their bully investigation practices. These principals suggest that a clear, specific district wide definition of bullying and step by step procedures to investigate reports, along with the state anti-bullying statute, provide a valuable guide for follow-through and back up in determining cases of school bullying. In addition, they identified how policies and district mandates affected parents, particularly when reporting their investigation findings. Implications for bully prevention policies are discussed.

Relationship between Bullying Victimization and Quality of Life in Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Taiwan: Mediation of the Effects of Emotional Problems and ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Symptoms

This cross-sectional study investigated the mediating effects of emotional problems including depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms on the association between bullying victimization and quality of life (QoL) among adolescents with ADHD in Taiwan. A total of 171 adolescents diagnosed as having ADHD participated in this study. Adolescents completed the School Bullying Experience Questionnaire, the Taiwanese Quality of Life Questionnaire for Adolescents, the Taiwanese version of the Children’s Depression Inventory and the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children. Caregivers completed the Chinese version of the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham Version IV Scale. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the relationships among the variables. The results of SEM revealed that bullying victimization indirectly correlated with QoL through the mediation of emotional problems in adolescents with ADHD, whereas ADHD and ODD symptoms did not mediate the association between bullying victimization and QoL. Bullying victimization should be actively prevented and intervened on to ensure better QoL in adolescents with ADHD. Moreover, emotional problems should be alleviated among adolescents with ADHD with bullying victimization experience to maintain their QoL.

Early Maladaptive Schemas and Social Information Processing in Child-to-Parent Aggression

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to assess the relationship between early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) and child-to-parent aggression (CPA) and to test whether social information processing (SIP) mediates this association. A total of 903 adolescents (50.9% girls) completed measures of EMSs at Time 1, SIP at Time 1 and Time 2 (1 year later), and CPA at Time 1, Time 2, and Time 3 (2 years later) to determine whether SIP measured at Time 2 mediated between the EMSs measured at Time 1 and CPA measured at Time 3. The results showed that each schema evaluated in this study had a different effect on SIP components and CPA. The SIP components of anger and aggressive response access in turn predicted CPA, mediating the relationship between two EMSs and CPA. More specifically, the schemas of defectiveness and the justification of violence predicted the response access component of SIP, which in turn predicted CPA. The results also showed bidirectional relationships between SIP components and CPA; whereas SIP components predicted CPA, the latter also predicted a worsening in SIP, perpetuating the problem. Furthermore, several gender differences were found in these paths. The findings indicate that intervention in the social-cognitive mechanisms is important to reduce adolescents' aggression directed toward their parents.

Sex Differences in the Relationships between Forms of Peer Victimization and Reactive and Proactive Aggression in Schoolchildren

The original study investigated sex differences in the relationships between multiple forms of peer victimization (physical victimization, verbal victimization, and social exclusion) and subtypes of aggression (reactive aggression and proactive aggression) in schoolchildren. A self-report questionnaire assessing levels of peer victimization and aggression was administered to 3790 schoolchildren (1916 males and 1874 females) aged 11 to 17 (M = 13.19; SD = 1.17) from 10 middle schools in Hong Kong. The pure effect of each subtype of aggression were evaluated by statistically controlling for another subtype of aggression in analyses. Furthermore, participants were classified as non-aggressors, reactive aggressors, proactive aggressors, and reactive–proactive aggressors to investigate their differences in specific forms of peer victimization. Data were analyzed by hierarchical linear regression and ANOVA. The results showed: (1) Sex significantly moderated the relationship between specific forms of peer victimization and subtypes of aggression; (2) In males, reactive aggression was positively predicted by verbal victimization; proactive aggression was positively predicted by physical victimization and social exclusion, and negatively predicted by verbal victimization; (3) In females, reactive aggression was positively predicted by physical victimization and social exclusion; proactive aggression was negatively predicted by social exclusion; and (4) Reactive–proactive aggressors reported more physical victimization than other types of aggressors. The findings have significant implications for distinctive functions of reactive and proactive aggression and the need to develop differentiated interventions for male and female schoolchildren.

Cross-cultural validation of the Mood Questionnaire in three Spanish-speaking countries Argentina, Ecuador, and Spain

This study validates the Mood Questionnaire for adults in three Spanish-speaking countries: Argentina, Ecuador, and Spain. It then analyzes the influence of gender and cultural differences on mood, and whether there is a relationship between mood, emotional intelligence, and the Avoidance of Responsibility. A convenience sample of 1048 adults, with a middle-class socioeconomic background, was selected from three Spanish-speaking countries (Spain, Argentina, and Ecuador). The psychometric properties of the Mood Questionnaire are adequate, which is particularly interesting given the need for transcultural tools to evaluate moods. Moreover, the mood was associated with avoidance of responsibility and emotional intelligence. In addition, differences in mood were observed according to country and gender. These findings are interesting because the Spanish version of the Mood Questionnaire has been validated for children but not for adults, and it compares three Spanish-speaking countries. The use of this diagnostic tool with Spanish adults can be justified according to these results.

Traditional school bullying and cyberbullying: Prevalence, the effect on mental health problems and self-harm behavior

Bullying is widely recognized as a major psychosocial problem with substantial negative consequences. The current study aimed to estimate the prevalence of traditional school bullying and cyberbullying and reciprocal associations between bullying involvement and mental health problems. The sample of the study consisted of 6202 middle and high school students (age 11-18, M= 14.4 ±1.9 years, 54% boy). Bullying involvement, self-harm behavior, anxiety, depression, and psychosocial difficulties were assessed by self-report questionnaire. The prevalence of traditional school bullying and cyberbullying victimization was 33% (95% CI 32.1-34.5%) and 17% (95% CI 16.3-18.2%), respectively. The prevalence of traditional school bullying and cyberbullying perpetration was 22.4% (95% CI 21.3-23.4%) and 10.4% (95% CI 9.7-11.3%), respectively. Bullying involvement -as a victim, perpetrator, or both- was associated with anxiety, depression, psychosocial difficulties, and self-harm behavior. Girls were more likely to be affected than boys in mental health outcomes. A significant association between bullying victimization and negative mental health outcomes were also observed. These findings provide evidence to intervention strategies need to target both traditional and cyberbullying involvement. Understanding the risk profile will help create useful and appropriate interventions, which will reduce the early effect of bullying on mental health and modify the clinical course.

Retrospective Accounts of Bullying Victimization at School: Associations with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Post-Traumatic Growth among University Students

This retrospective study investigated the association between bullying victimization experiences at school, current post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and post-traumatic growth (PTG) among Greek university students. A sample of 400 university students aged 17 to 40 years (M age = 20.33, SD = 3.18) completed self-reported scales measuring school bullying victimization experiences, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and post-traumatic growth. Results showed that victims of school bullying reported mild levels of PTSD and moderate feelings of post-traumatic growth. Females presented higher scores of post-traumatic growth. Duration and frequency of victimization of school bullying were found to present a significant effect on PTSD symptoms and PTG, respectively. Post-traumatic growth as a result of school-bullying victimization was related to PTSD symptom severity and this relationship was curvilinear. The findings have implications in terms of informing prospective interventions targeting the enhancement of students' sense of growth for handling peer aggression effectively.

Rumination as a Mediator of the Prospective Association Between Victimization and Bullying

Although there is evidence of concurrent associations between victimization and bully perpetration, it is still unclear how this relation unfolds over time. This study investigates whether victimization in childhood is a prospective risk factor for bully perpetration in early adolescence, and examines rumination as a socio-cognitive factor that may mediate this association. Participants included 553 third graders (43.2% boys; M_age = 9.85), with follow-up assessments when they were in fourth, seventh, and eighth grade. Results indicated that more frequent victimization in grades 3 and 4 was indirectly associated with bully perpetration in grade 8, through rumination in grade 7 about past victimization experiences in elementary school. This pattern remained regardless of whether the rumination elicited feelings of anger or sadness. Our findings demonstrate one pathway through which frequent victimization can lead to perpetration and underscore the important role of rumination in victims’ subsequent adjustment. Implications for future interventions are discussed.

Associations Between Rejection Sensitivity, Aggression, and Victimization: A Meta-Analytic Review

BACKGROUND

Rejection sensitivity (RS) is a personality disposition characterized by oversensitivity to social rejection; individuals who are sensitive to social rejection tend to anxiously or angrily expect, readily perceive, and overreact to it. The associations between (a) RS and aggression and (b) RS and victimization have been studied in recent years. However, the strength of these associations varied considerably between studies. This review aimed to synthesize the primary literature to improve our insight into these associations.

METHOD

A comprehensive literature search yielded 52 studies (with a total of 66,405 participants and producing 203 effect sizes) on the RS-aggression and RS-victimization associations. Three-level meta-analytic models were used to synthesize effect sizes and to examine potential moderators of the RS-aggression association and the RS-victimization association, respectively.

RESULTS

There was a small but significant association between RS and aggression (pooled r = .183; p < .001) and a slightly below moderate and significant association between RS and victimization (pooled r = .298; p < .001). The RS-aggression association was stronger for angry RS than for anxious RS and stronger for reactive aggression than for proactive aggression. Similar results were obtained in analyzing the longitudinal associations only.

CONCLUSIONS

RS is significantly associated with aggression and victimization. The implications of the results for clinical practice as well as directions for future research are discussed.

Relational Aggression in Adolescents with Conduct Disorder: Sex Differences and Behavioral Correlates

As most research on conduct disorder (CD) has been conducted on male participants, it has been suggested that female-specific symptoms may be underestimated based on current DSM-5 criteria. In particular, relational aggression, i.e. the hurtful, often indirect, manipulation of relationships with the intention of damaging the other's social position, has been proposed as a characteristic of CD that is more common in females. In addition, sex-specific studies on correlates of relational aggressive behavior are lacking. Relational aggression may be strongly related to the correlates of proactive aggression, namely low affective empathy, and high levels of callous-unemotional (CU) traits and relational victimization. Thus, the present study investigated sex differences in relational aggression, and associations between relational aggression and correlates of proactive aggression in 662 adolescents with CD (403 females) and 849 typically-developing controls (568 females) aged 9-18 years (M = 14.74, SD = 2.34) from the European multi-site FemNAT-CD study. Females with CD showed significantly higher levels of relational aggression compared to males with CD, whereas no sex differences were seen in controls. Relational aggression was only partly related to correlates of proactive aggression in CD: Independent of sex, CU traits showed a positive association with relational aggression. In females only, cognitive, but not affective empathy, was negatively associated with relational aggression. Relational victimization was more strongly associated with relational aggression in males compared to females. Despite interesting sex specific correlates of relational aggression, effects are small and the potential clinical implications should be investigated in future studies.

Effects of Parenting and Community Violence on Aggression-Related Social Goals: a Monozygotic Twin Differences Study

Community violence exposure and harsh parenting have been linked to maladaptive outcomes, possibly via their effects on social cognition. The Social Information Processing (SIP) model has been used to study distinct socio-cognitive processes, demonstrating links between community violence exposure, harsh parenting, and maladaptive SIP. Though much of this research assumes these associations are causal, genetic confounds have made this assumption difficult to rigorously test. Comparisons of discordant monozygotic (MZ) twins provide one empirical test of possible causality, as differences between MZ twins must be environmental in origin. The present study examined effects of parenting and community violence exposure on SIP - specifically aggressive and avoidant social goals - in a sample of 426 MZ twin dyads (N = 852 twins, 48% female). Phenotypically, we found that lower positive parenting and greater harsh parenting were associated with greater endorsement of dominance and revenge goals. We also found that indirect and direct community violence exposure was associated with greater endorsement of avoidance goals. Using an MZ difference design, we found that the relationships between lower levels of positive parenting and endorsement of dominance and revenge goals were due, in part, to environmental processes. Moreover, the relationships between the impact of indirect and direct community violence exposure and avoidance goals, as well as between the impact of indirect community violence exposure and revenge goals, appeared to be due to non-shared environmental processes. Our results establish social and contextual experiences as important environmental influences on children's social goals, which may increase risk for later psychopathology.

Third-Party Intervention in Peer Victimization: Self-Evaluative Emotions and Appraisals of a Diverse Adolescent Sample

African American, European American, Mexican American, and Native American adolescents (N = 270) described how they felt and appraised their own actions in response to a peer's victimization. Analyses compared times they had calmed victim emotions, amplified anger, avenged, and resolved conflicts peacefully. Adolescents felt prouder, more helpful, more like a good friend, and expected more peer approval after calming and resolving than after amplifying anger or avenging peers. They also felt less guilt and shame after calming and resolving. Avenging elicited more positive self-evaluation than amplifying. Epistemic network analyses explored links between self-evaluative and other emotions. Pride was linked to relief after efforts to calm or resolve. Third-party revenge reflected its antisocial and prosocial nature with connections between pride, relief, anger, and guilt.

Association between the Mother's Social Cognition and the Child's Social Functioning in Kindergarten: The Mediating Role of the Child's Social Cognition

Children’s ability to adjust to the social rules and expectations in the educational environment is of major concern to researchers and practitioners alike. Accordingly, the main purpose of the present study was to examine predictors of children’s social functioning in kindergarten with a specific focus on (a) maternal factors and (b) children’s social cognition. Using a multi-method (self-reports and direct assessments), multi-informant (child, mother, teacher) design, we collected data from 301 kindergarten children and their mothers tapping the mother’s social cognition (general and child-related) and parenting style, and children’s social cognition (social information processing) and functioning in kindergarten. We found direct associations between the mother and child’s social cognition, between the mother’s authoritarian parenting style and her child’s less competent social cognition and behavior, and between the child’s social cognition and social functioning. Finally, as hypothesized, we found a number of interesting mediated effects. Most notably, we found that the association between the mother’s social cognition (her tendency to attribute hostile intent to unknown others) and the child’s social cognition (his/her tendency to generate less competent responses) is fully mediated by the mother’s higher levels of authoritarian parenting style. The important theoretical and clinical implications of our findings are discussed.

Bullying Victimization and Trauma

Bullying victimization and trauma research traditions operate quite separately. Hence, it is unclear from the literature whether bullying victimization should be considered as a form of interpersonal trauma. We review studies that connect bullying victimization with symptoms of PTSD, and in doing so, demonstrate that a conceptual understanding of the consequences of childhood bullying needs to be framed within a developmental perspective. We discuss two potential diagnoses that ought to be considered in the context of bullying victimization: (1) developmental trauma disorder, which was suggested but not accepted as a new diagnosis in the DSM-5 and (2) complex post-traumatic stress disorder, which has been included in the ICD-11. Our conclusion is that these frameworks capture the complexity of the symptoms associated with bullying victimization better than PTSD. We encourage practitioners to understand how exposure to bullying interacts with development at different ages when addressing the consequences for targets and when designing interventions that account for the duration, intensity, and sequelae of this type of interpersonal trauma.

Association between different stages of precollege school bullying and murder-related psychological behaviors among college students in Anhui Province, China

Little is known about the relationship between precollege school bullying and murder-related psychological behaviors. The present study aims to examine that relationship in Chinese college students using a cross-sectional study. Self-report data were collected from 4034 college students in Anhui Province using a proportional stratified cluster sampling method. Four types of school bullying (i.e., physical, verbal, relational, and cyber) with bullies and victims and two periods (i.e., primary and secondary) were measured. The prevalence rates of murderous ideation, plans, preparation, and attempts were 6.9%, 2.5%, 1.8%, 1.4%, respectively. Different stages of precollege cyber bullying were associated with murder-related psychological behaviors for both bullies (primary: AORs = 2.78 to 15.67; secondary: AORs = 2.43 to 9.99; both periods: AORs = 2.26 to 14.04) and victims (primary: AORs = 2.87 to 16.57; secondary: AORs = 1.89 to 4.49; both periods: AORs = 3.68 to 21.48). A dose-response relationship was found, such that college students with a bullying perpetration index of two types and more were more likely to have murder-related psychological behaviors than those who were not bullied. Notably, both primary and secondary school bullying, especially cyber forms, were more likely to be associated with murder-related psychological behaviors. Therefore, it is necessary to develop school bullying preventive measures beginning in primary school.

Trajectories of Verbal and Physical Peer Victimization Among Children with Comorbid Oppositional Defiant Problems, Conduct Problems and Hyperactive-Attention Problems

The high levels of comorbidity between oppositional/conduct problems and hyperactivity/attention problems underscore the need for assessing how vulnerability for peer victimization is shaped by overlap among these behavior problems. Children (mean age 8.39, SD = 0.93) participating in a longitudinal study of the development of conduct problems (N = 744; 348 girls) in Quebec, Canada, were evaluated by their teachers regarding experiences of peer verbal and physical victimization every year for 6 years. Parent and teacher ratings of clinically significant oppositional/conduct problems, and hyperactivity/attention problems, as well as cormorbid opposition defiant/conduct problems and hyperactivity/attention problems were regressed onto trajectories of verbal and physical victimization. While behavior problems (both alone and together) were associated with higher levels of verbal and physical victimization, some variation was observed across rater and type of victimization. Ultimately, these findings suggest the importance of adapting programming for reducing victimization to children with oppositional and conduct problems.

Psychological Predictors of Bullying in Adolescents From Pluricultural Schools: A Transnational Study in Spain and Ecuador

This study aimed to analyze the levels of personal aggression and victimization, ethnic-cultural aggression and victimization, self-esteem, empathy, social skills and gender in adolescents as potential predictors of bullying in Spain and Ecuador. The wide pluricultural sample comprised secondary education students from both countries (N = 25,190, average age = 13.92, SD = 1.306; N_Spain = 14,437; N_Ecuador = 10,753), who took part in the study by filling in a self-report. The results revealed that predictive models of bullying for both countries explain 50–70% of variance. A transnational predictive pattern of personal victimization can be observed based on the levels of ethnic-cultural victimization, ethnic-cultural aggression, personal aggression, self-deprecation, and affective empathy. A transnational predictive pattern of personal aggression is evidenced depending on the levels of ethnic-cultural aggression, personal victimization, self-deprecation, ethnic-cultural victimization, and the fact of being female. We concluded that bullying can largely be predicted by involvement in ethnic-cultural discrimination. These results are discussed, and educational inferences are drawn for prevention.

Adolescent Reactive and Proactive Aggression, and Bullying in Hong Kong: Prevalence, Psychosocial Correlates, and Prevention

The negative impacts of aggressive bullying behavior by adolescents on both the bullies and victims are being increasingly recognized as social and economic problems. At the same time, there are alarming trends in face-to-face and online aggression and bullying behavior in Hong Kong. Since the 1970s, prevention and intervention programs to reduce bullying behavior have been implemented in schools in Western countries; however, antibullying and antiaggression programs in Hong Kong schools only began in the 2000s. There are two ways of defining the target groups for these intervention programs. Programs using a one-factor model categorize the adolescents who exhibit bullying behavior into a single group, bullies, whereas two-factor models distinguish two subtypes of aggression: reactive and proactive aggression. The former approach is emphasized in the Restorative Whole-school Approach with Shared Concern method, which uses mediation to reduce bullying in schools. The two-factor approach differentiates adolescents' behaviors into reactive, proactive, or occurring reactive-proactive aggression based on the functions and underlying goals of their actions. Specific interventions are then designed to address the particular features and psychosocial correlates of reactive and proactive aggression. The aim is to develop the positive development attributes related to specific types of aggression and thus reduce aggressive behavior in schools.

Peer Victimization and Dysfunctional Reward Processing: ERP and Behavioral Responses to Social and Monetary Rewards

Peer victimization (or bullying) is a known risk factor for depression, especially among youth. However, the mechanisms connecting victimization experience to depression symptoms remains unknown. As depression is known to be associated with neural blunting to monetary rewards, aberrant responsiveness to social rewards may be a key deficit connecting socially stressful experiences with later depression. We, therefore, sought to determine whether adolescents’ experiences with social stress would be related to their current response to social rewards over less socially relevant monetary rewards. Neural responses to monetary and social rewards were measured using event-related potentials (ERPs) to peer acceptance and rejection feedback (Island Getaway task) and to monetary reward and loss feedback (Doors task) in a sample of 56 late adolescents/emerging young adults followed longitudinally since preschool. In the Island Getaway task, participants voted whether to “keep” or “kick out” each co-player, providing an index of prosocial behavior, and then received feedback about how each player voted for the participant. Analyses tested whether early and recent peer victimization was related to response to rewards (peer acceptance or monetary gains), residualized for response to losses (peer rejection or monetary losses) using the reward positivity (RewP) component. Findings indicated that both experiencing greater early and greater recent peer victimization were significantly associated with participants casting fewer votes to keep other adolescents (“Keep” votes) and that greater early peer victimization was associated with reduced neural response to peer acceptance. Early and recent peer victimization were significantly more associated with neural response to social than monetary rewards. Together, these findings suggest that socially injurious experiences such as peer victimization, especially those occurring early in childhood, relate to two distinct but important findings: that early victimization is associated with later reduced response to peer acceptance, and is associated with later tendency to reject peers. Findings also suggest that there is evidence of specificity to reward processing of different types; thus, future research should expand studies of reward processing beyond monetary rewards to account for the possibility that individual differences may be related to other, more relevant, reward types.

Self-Justification Processes Related to Bullying Among Brazilian Adolescents: A Mixed Methods Study

This study aims to investigate the associations between bullying and moral disengagement in a Brazilian sample, using a mixed method design. Two-thousand three hundred and thirty-four adolescents (11-19 years; 42.9% girls) answered self-report measures on bullying and moral disengagement in response to bullying situations. Fifty-five participants were randomly selected and interviewed on their experiences on bullying at school. Results allowed to identify specific mechanisms of moral disengagement associated with bullying behavior among Brazilian adolescents. Qualitative analysis highlighted how moral disengagement mechanisms were spontaneously used by the adolescents to explain both the bullying and the bystander behaviors. Findings support the relevance of moral disengagement mechanisms in explaining bullying behaviors. The value of addressing these mechanisms when designing anti-bullying interventions is discussed.

Is involvement in school bullying associated with increased risk of murderous ideation and behaviours among adolescent students in China?

BACKGROUND

School bullying is a destructive behaviour common among adolescents that can sometimes escalate to criminal activity. This study aimed to examine the association between four types of school bullying (i.e., physical, verbal, relational, and cyber) and murderous ideation and behaviours (i.e., ideation, plans, preparation, and attempts) among adolescent students.

METHODS

Data were collected from 5726 middle and high school students using self-administered questionnaires in December 2013. The participants were selected using a 3-stage random cluster-sampling strategy. The participants were asked about the frequency of their bullying experiences in the past two months and the frequencies of their murderous ideation and behaviours in the past six months. Multivariate logistic regressions were performed to explore the association between school bullying and murderous ideation and behaviours.

RESULTS

Each type of school bullying perpetration was associated with murderous ideation and behaviours, as was each type of bullying victimization. Students who experienced more types of school bullying perpetration and victimization were more likely to report murderous ideation and behaviours. Moreover, the number of types of bullying perpetration and victimization had a dose-response association with murderous ideation and behaviours (aOR min = 1.45, aOR max = 2.72), as did the frequency of involvement in bullying perpetration and victimization (aOR min = 1.33, aOR max = 2.00). Being a bully-victim was a risk factor for murderous ideation and behaviours (aOR min = 3.88, aOR max = 7.24).

CONCLUSIONS

Each type of school bullying was associated with an increased risk for murderous ideation and behaviours among adolescents. Dose-response relationships between the frequency of bullying and number of bullying types experienced and murderous ideation and behaviours were found in this study. Future studies are warranted to confirm our findings and explore the mechanisms underlying the relationship between school bullying and murderous ideation and behaviours.

Mothers' Difficulties and Expectations for Intervention of Bullying among Young Children in South Korea

This study investigated the difficulties of mothers in coping with the bullying of their children and their expectations concerning bullying intervention for young children in South Korea. Twenty mothers with young children were interviewed. Interviews were transcribed in Korean. Nvivo 12 software was used to analyze the data. Four themes emerged: "mothers' coping strategies", "problems of interventions", "expectations of interventions", and "developmentally appropriate interventions for young children". Each theme was divided into categories and further into subcategories. Mothers used diverse strategies to intervene when their children were bullied and showed dissatisfaction with the current intervention system. Their expectations for interventions for young children were explained in terms of familial, school, and local/governmental levels. These results emphasized that intervention policies for bullying among young children should be urgently established, and intervention programs need to consider the developmental characteristics of young children.

Bidirectional Associations between Peer Victimization and Functions of Aggression in Middle Childhood: Further Evaluation across Informants and Academic Years

The current 3-wave study examined bidirectional associations between peer victimization and functions of aggression across informants over a 1-year period in middle childhood, with attention to potential gender differences. Participants included 198 children (51% girls) in the third and fourth grades and their homeroom teachers. Peer victimization was assessed using both child- and teacher-reports, and teachers provided ratings of reactive and proactive aggression. Cross-classified multilevel cross-lagged models indicated that child-reports, but not teacher-reports, of peer victimization predicted higher levels of reactive aggression within and across academic years. Further, reactive aggression predicted subsequent increases in child- and teacher-reports of peer victimization across each wave of data. Several gender differences, particularly in the crossed paths between proactive aggression and peer victimization, also emerged. Whereas peer victimization was found to partially account for the stability of reactive aggression over time, reactive aggression did not account for the stability of peer victimization. Taken together with previous research, the current findings suggest that child-reports of peer victimization may help identify youth who are risk for exhibiting increased reactive aggression over time. Further, they highlight the need to target reactively aggressive behavior for the prevention of peer victimization in middle childhood.

The Role of Shame in the Relation Between Peer Victimization and Mental Health Outcomes

Youth who experience peer victimization are at risk of developing mental health problems. However, little is known about the emotional causal mechanisms linking peer victimization with these negative outcomes. This study investigated whether shame mediated this relationship. At three time points (T1-T3), 396 10- to 13-year-olds completed measures of peer victimization, shame (characterological, bodily, and behavioral; shame proneness), and mental health (depression, social anxiety, and externalizing behavior). Three multiple mediation models tested the indirect effects of T1 victimization on T3 mental health through the four T2 shame-related variables. Analyses revealed indirect effects for the shame-related mediators on depression, social anxiety, and externalizing behaviors. Specifically, indirect positive effects for characterological and bodily shame on depression and social anxiety were found, with greater bodily shame linked to higher levels of social anxiety in girls but not boys. In addition, an indirect negative effect for behavioral shame on externalizing problems was found, with higher levels of externalizing problems in victimized boys but not in girls. Finally, an indirect positive effect for shame proneness and externalizing problems was found. To clarify the directionality, three additional mediation models were run with mental health symptoms as predictors of shame and subsequent victimization. Indirect effects for the shame-related mediators were found for all outcomes, specifically bodily shame and shame proneness as mediators between internalizing and externalizing symptoms and victimization. These three models were compared and contrasted with the hypothesized models. In sum, findings support the role of shame as an underlying emotional mechanism of peer victimization, and may guide intervention programs to address the mental health concerns of victimized youth.

Applying Social Cognitive Theory to Explore Relational Aggression across Early Adolescence: A Within- and Between-Person Analysis

In the past two decades, there has been a significant amount of research on children's relational aggression, which has been found to be associated with psychosocial problems. Longitudinal studies have examined changes in relational aggression during early adolescence in relation to individual characteristics; however, most studies compare individual differences between people with regard to rates of relational aggression. A shortcoming to the current literature is the lack of studies that use a multilevel approach to examine individual differences (between-person) as well as the extent to which individuals deviate from their own typical levels (within-person) over time. In this study, within- and between-person psychological and peer-related predictors of rates of relational aggression over time were examined. Participants included 1,655 students in 5th-8th grade (mean age: 13.01) from four public middle schools in the Midwest, which consisted 828 females and 827 males. In terms of race and ethnicity, 819 (49.5%) were African Americans, followed by 571 (34.5%) Whites, and 265 (16%) Others. Longitudinal data were collected over four waves across two years of middle school. The findings indicated that contrary to the hypothesis that relational aggression would increase over time, there was no significant growth across time. Age, gender, and race were not associated with relational aggression over time; however, consistent with the Social Cognitive Theory, changes in within-person impulsivity, anger, and peer delinquency were all positively related to increases in relational aggression. At the between-person level of analysis, depressive symptoms and peer delinquency were related to relational aggression. Findings suggest that school-based programs that address anger management, impulsivity, empathy, and victimization could help prevent relational aggression.

Victimization, Bullying, and Emotional Competence: Longitudinal Associations in (Pre)Adolescents With and Without Developmental Language Disorder

PURPOSE

Victimization is a common problem for many children but is exacerbated for children with a developmental language disorder (DLD). However, the severity of communication problems does not explain their victimization rates. In children without DLD, difficulties with emotional competence are a risk factor for victimization and also increase the risk of bullying. In this longitudinal study, we examined the extent to which the level and development of emotional competence (understanding of one's own emotions and levels of anger, sadness, and fear) contributed to the prediction of victimization and bullying in children with and without DLD, over and above the type and severity of communication problems of children with DLD.

METHOD

Clinically referred youngsters (8-16 years old) with (n = 112; 48% girls, 52% boys) and without (n = 233; 58% girls, 42% boys) DLD completed self-reports 3 times over an 18-month period. Parents of children with DLD reported on their children's communication problems.

RESULTS

Participants with DLD reported more victimization but comparable levels of bullying behavior compared with peers without DLD. Higher levels of sadness and fear were risk factors for more victimization in both groups. Better understanding of one's own emotions had a larger effect on less victimization in children with DLD, independent of their communication problems. In addition, increased levels of anger and lower levels of understanding of one's own emotions explained more bullying in both groups.

CONCLUSION

Outcomes indicate that secondary difficulties in emotional competence in children with DLD make these children more vulnerable to victimization and warrant specific support and interventions.

The examination of authoritarian parenting styles, specific forms of peer-victimization, and reactive aggression in Hong Kong Youth

This study utilized a hierarchical regression model to explore the relationship between reactive aggression, forms of peer victimization, and authoritarian parenting styles. Participants included 1,021 Hong Kong youth and their parents ( N = 1,021), drawn from ten primary schools throughout the municipality. Children completed the Reactive and Proactive Aggression Questionnaire and the Multidimensional Peer Victimization Scale, while parents completed the Parental Styles Dimensions Questionnaire. Results indicated that authoritarian parenting, parental use of verbal hostility, verbal victimization by peers, social manipulation, and attacks on property by peers, all significantly contributed to the variance in reactive aggression. Conversely, physical attacks by peers, physical coercion by parents, and non-reasoning parenting styles were not found to significantly contribute to the regression model. Additionally, gender was found to predict reactive aggression with boys reporting higher scores than girls. The implications of these findings for future research, as well as the limitations of this study are discussed.