Developmental continuity and change in physical, verbal, and relational aggression and peer victimization from childhood to adolescence

Relational Victimization, Coping Styles and Depressive Symptoms: A Test of Bidirectional Associations in Adolescence

Although evidence from previous studies suggests that adolescents with negative coping styles who experienced victimization are more likely to exhibit depressive symptoms, these associations have not yet been disentangled to separate between-person differences from within-person effects. To investigate the within-person bidirectional relationships among relational victimization, coping styles and depressive symptoms, this study conducted a four-wave random intercept cross-lagged panel model analysis. The final sample consisted of 1506 adolescents, 72.6% of whom were male, with a mean age of 10.90 years (SD = 1.12) at the first time point. The findings revealed a prospective within-person association between relational victimization and depressive symptoms, and a reciprocal within-person relationship between depressive symptoms and avoidance coping. The approach coping style negatively predicted depressive symptoms over time, whereas depressive symptoms did not affect the approach coping style. These findings show how depressive symptoms, relational victimization, and coping styles are related at the individual level, extending previous research through the demonstration of stable within-person associations over time.

Trajectory of Relational Victimization during Mid-Adolescence: The Effect of Gender, Childhood Maltreatment, Internalizing Problems, and Socioeconomic Status

BACKGROUND

Relational victimization (RV) is a significant threat to adolescent mental health and social adaptation in China. However, its developmental characteristics during the school transition period are poorly understood. Finkelhor's developmental victimology framework provides a comprehensive lens to explore factors influencing RV's development. This study examined the trajectory of RV and the impact of gender, childhood maltreatment, internalizing problems, and family socioeconomic status.

METHODS

We recruited 762 students from a high school in Sichuan Province, China, to complete three questionnaires in June 2020, December 2020, and June 2021. After excluding participants who did not fully complete all three surveys or whose data were disqualified, we obtained a final longitudinal sample of 605 participants. All participants were high school freshmen, with a mean age of 15.89 years (SD = 0.59) at the time of the final survey; participants included 264 boys. We used this data to construct a conditional growth model that incorporated both time-varying and time-invariant covariates.

RESULTS

The results revealed that the RV of Chinese mid-adolescents follows a linear growth trend. Childhood maltreatment was found to be a predictor of the initial level of RV, while socioeconomic status predicted the rate of RV's growth. Internalizing problems were found to influence the development trajectory of RV.

CONCLUSION

The findings highlighted the increasing trend of RV during school transition and the roles of childhood maltreatment, socioeconomic status, and internalizing problems in shaping RV's development. This study extended the developmental victimology framework and offers valuable insights for interventions targeting adolescents' RV.

Associations between forms of aggression and peer victimization: Does prosocial behavior matter?

Relatively little is known regarding factors that may mitigate the strength of the associations between forms of aggressive behavior and peer victimization. The goal of the current study was to investigate prosocial behavior as a moderator of these links over a 2-year period during middle childhood. Participants included 410 third-grade students (53% boys) and their homeroom teachers. Results indicated that prosocial behavior was associated with lower initial levels of victimization, whereas relational aggression was associated with higher initial levels of victimization. Physical aggression predicted more stable patterns of victimization over time, and prosocial behavior moderated the prospective link from relational aggression to peer victimization; specifically, relational aggression predicted decreases in victimization at higher levels of prosocial behavior and more stable patterns over time when levels of prosocial behavior were low. Further, gender differences were observed in the moderating effect of prosocial behavior on the prospective link from physical aggression to peer victimization, such that it served as a risk factor for boys and a protective factor for girls.

Heterogeneity of adolescent bullying perpetrators: Subtypes based on victimization and peer status

We identified different types of adolescent bullying perpetrators and nonbullies based on peer-reported bullying, victimization, and peer status (popularity, likeability, and rejection) and examined differences between bully subtypes in typical forms of bullying perpetrated. Moreover, we studied how bully subtypes differed from nonbullies with varying levels of victimization and peer status in academic and psychosocial adjustment. The study utilizes data from 10,689 adolescents (48.3% boys, mean age 14.7 years). Latent profile analysis identified three distinct subgroups of bullies: popular-liked bullies (13.5%), popular-rejected bully-victims (5.8%), and bully-victims (6.9%), and four groups on nonbullies. High-status bullies (popular-liked and popular-rejected) resembled nonbullies in many ways and had even lower social anxiety, whereas bully-victims were the most maladjusted group. Overall, popularity seems to protect adolescents from social anxiety, and victimization is related to internalizing problems. Results suggest that bullying, victimization, and peer status can be used to identify distinct subtypes of bullies.

Sedentary Behavior and School Bullying in Adolescents: An Analysis Based on a National Survey in Colombia

BACKGROUND

Sedentarism has been associated with poorer mental health, greater likelihood of bullying and suicide risk; however, studies with national coverage are needed to characterize contexts and allow comparisons between nations. The aim of this study was to examine the association between sedentary lifestyles with bullying in the social context of Colombian adolescents.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study with 78,772 adolescents aged 13-17 years participating in the 2017 National School Health Survey. Sedentary behavior was defined as sitting for 3+ hours/day of leisure time, while bullying was identified by self-report of being victimized 1+ times/month. Relative frequencies were estimated and, using a log-binomial regression model, prevalence ratios (PR) were calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 15.31% of students reported being victims of bullying. A higher probability to be bullied was estimated in sedentary adolescents (PR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.09-1.29), as well as in females, ethnic minorities, those who went hungry in the last month due to lack of food, students with health problems, and private schools.

CONCLUSIONS

Bullying was related with sedentary leisure time, gender, ethnicity, type of educational institution, and presence of health problems. Being a multicausal phenomenon, bullying demands policies and programs with a greater focus on the most vulnerable groups.

A Latent Transition Analysis of Aggression Victimization Patterns During the Transition from Primary to Middle School

School transitions provide contexts for adolescents to reconstruct peer relationships and re-establish social positions. Scarce research has captured the transition of aggressor and victim roles during this period and examined associated factors. To investigate the stability and shifts of aggressor and victim roles following the transition to middle school, this study conducted latent transition analysis with 1261 Chinese adolescents (32.6% female, Mage in Grade 6 = 12.1 years, SD = 0.7). Three subgroups were identified across Grades 5 to 8: aggressive-victims, victims and uninvolved. Adolescents were more likely to transition from aggressive-victim and victim roles to the uninvolved group during the transition to middle school compared to the transitions within the same educational phase. Males and those with insecure parental attachment were at higher risk of being and remaining in the involved groups. The findings underscore the dynamic nature of adolescent aggression and victimization and highlight the transition to middle school as a critical window for interventions aimed at helping adolescents disengage from aggression and victimization.

Latent profiles of bullying perpetration and victimization: Gender differences and family variables

BACKGROUND

School bullying is a prevalent issue that threatens the psychological and social well-being of adolescents. However, little research has investigated how gender and family variables were related to bullying-involvement patterns among adolescents with siblings.

OBJECTIVE

This study explored gender differences in the profiles of bullying involvement and the relationship between sibling, parental variables, and these profiles among Chinese adolescents.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Participants (N = 1,060; 46.0 % boys; Mage = 15.53) were recruited from junior and senior high schools in Jiangxi and Guizhou Provinces, China.

METHODS

Bullying involvement, sibling warmth and conflict, and parental psychological maltreatment and neglect were assessed by self-report questionnaire. Latent profile analysis was used to identify subgroups with distinct bullying involvement patterns, then multiple logistic regressions were performed to investigate the associations between family variables and bullying-involvement subgroups.

RESULTS

We found gender differences in both the latent profiles of bullying involvement and the associations between profiles and family variables. Only boys were identified severe bully-victims (3.39 %), while only girls were categorized as relational bully-victims (20.18 %). Boys and girls were similarly represented among uninvolved students (70.76 % vs. 66.85 %), moderate bully-victims (15.25 % vs. 6.49 %), and victims (10.59 % vs. 6.49 %). Students with more sibling warmth manifested less likelihood of engaging in bullying-related profiles, with more parental psychological maltreatment, and more parental neglect manifested more likelihood of engaging in bullying-related profiles only among girls. While students with more sibling conflict were related to more bullying-related profiles among boys than girls.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings emphasize the importance of developing gender-specific bullying intervention strategies that also consider relevant family factors.

Relational and physical aggression in preschool-age children: Associations with teacher, parent, sibling, and peer relationship quality

Early childhood relationships with teachers, parents, siblings, and peers are foundational factors for later social functioning. High rates of childhood aggression have been associated with negative developmental consequences, however, the associations between child aggression on the quality of these formative relationships have not been studied extensively. In a sample of young children attending preschool (N = 114, Mage = 46.27 months, SD = 9.94, 40% girls), this study investigated associations between early childhood relational and physical aggression and the quality of concurrent teacher-child and parent-child closeness and conflict, sibling relationship quality, and positive peer interactions and peer rejection. Early childhood relational and physical aggression was associated with negative teacher-child relationships, and this was true for boys and girls. Differential patterns of prediction were found for relational and physical aggression on the other relationship variables. Relational aggression strongly predicted more positive peer interactions, whereas physical aggression predicted fewer positive peer interactions and greater peer rejection. Early childhood relational aggression predicted higher levels of teacher-child closeness, whereas physical aggression predicted lower levels of teacher-child closeness and fewer positive sibling interactions. These findings challenge common perceptions that aggression is negatively associated with relationship quality. Notably, relational aggression relative to physical aggression may be associated with some favorable relationship outcomes. We did not find support for an additive model of aggression whereby children who were both relationally and physically aggressive (co-morbid) were at higher risk for negative relationship quality. Implications of these findings for future research and prevention and intervention are discussed.

Basic psychological need satisfaction and aggressive behavior: the role of negative affect and its gender difference

Background

Basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) is a significant factor in a person's development, especially for adolescents, and the failure to satisfy these basic needs may contribute to individuals' aggressive behavior. However, it is still unclear about the underlying mechanism by which BPNS is negatively associated with aggressive behavior. This study aimed to explore the relationship between BPNS and aggressive behavior in Chinese adolescents, with a focus on the mediating role of negative affect and its gender differences.

Method

A sample of 1,064 junior high school students from three schools in China were selected randomly for the cross-sectional survey. The revised Need Satisfaction Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and Youth's Self-Report were used to measure BPNS, affect, and aggressive behavior. The proposed model was examined by the structural equation modeling test and multi-group comparison analysis.

Results

The results showed that BPNS was negatively linked with adolescents' aggressive behavior, and this effect was mediated by negative affect. Moreover, multigroup analysis demonstrated that there existed a stronger negative association between BPNS and negative affect in female group. Also, the mediating effect of negative affect in the model was greater for girls.

Conclusions

Our findings highlighted the importance of BPNS in adolescents' social behavior (i.e., aggressive behavior), and reveal disparate patterns in how BPNS affects aggressive behavior in girls as compared to boys.

Chronic, increasing, and decreasing peer victimization trajectories and the development of externalizing and internalizing problems in middle childhood

Children's peer victimization trajectories and their longitudinal associations with externalizing and internalizing problems were investigated from Grades 2 to 5. Secondary data analysis was performed with the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K-2011; n = 13,860, M age = 8.1 years old in the spring of Grade 2; 51.1% male, 46.7% White, 13.2% African-American, 25.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, and 6.1% other or biracial). Children who experienced high and persistent levels of peer victimization (high-chronic victims) exhibited co-occurring externalizing and internalizing problems. Moreover, among high-chronic victims, boys had a more pronounced increase in their externalizing trajectories, and girls had greater increases in their social anxiety trajectories. In contrast, those with decreasing peer victimization across time exhibited signs of recovery, particularly with respect to their social anxiety. These findings elucidated how chronic, increasing, and decreasing victims exhibited distinct patterns in the co-occurring development of their externalizing and internalizing problems, and how findings varied depending on the form of problem behavior and by child sex.

Factors Predictive of Being Bullies or Victims of Bullies in US Elementary Schools

We analyzed a population-representative cohort (N=13,611; Mage at kindergarten, first, and second grade = 67.5, 79.5, and 91.5 months, respectively) to identify kindergarten to second grade factors predictive of being bullies or victims during third to fifth grade. We did so by estimating a block recursive structural equation model (SEM) with three sets of predictors. These were: (a) individual and school socio-demographics; (b) family distress and harsh parenting; and (c) individual behavior and achievement. Relations between each of the included variables and the bullying outcomes were simultaneously estimated within the SEM. Thus, each variable served as a control for estimating the effects of the other variables. We used robust standard errors to account for student clustering within schools. Results indicated that externalizing problem behavior strongly predicted being a bully ([ES] = .56, p<.001) and a victim (ES=.29, p<.001). We observed a negative relation between being Hispanic and being a victim (ES = -.10, p<.001) and a positive relation between being Black and being a bully (ES = .11, p<.001). We also observed statistically significant relations between a family's socioeconomic status and being a bully (ES = -.08, p<.001) as well as school poverty and being a victim (ES = .07, p<.001). The results advance the field's limited understanding of risk and protective factors for bullying perpetration or victimization during elementary school and provide additional empirical support for assisting young children already exhibiting externalizing problem behaviors.

Early co-occurrence of peer victimization and aggression

An accelerated longitudinal research design was used to examine heterogeneity in the developmental co-occurrence of peer relational victimization and aggression and of peer overt victimization and aggression from age 4.5 to 10.5 years. Data were gathered from four cohorts of children in kindergarten to Grade 3 (N = 503) on six occasions across 2 years. Psychopathology, peer, and social-cognitive factors were examined as predictors of the joint trajectories. Sequential process latent growth mixture models identified four distinct subgroups for the relational trajectories (co-occurring increasing aggression, co-occurring increasing victimization, high chronic victimization, typical low risk) and four distinct subgroups for the overt trajectories (co-occurring decelerating aggression, high chronic victimization, moderate chronic victimization, typical low risk). Membership in the co-occurring trajectories was associated with psychopathology and membership in the chronic victimization trajectories was related to internalizing and social-cognitive problems but also peer likeability.

Families, Parenting and Aggressive Preschoolers: A Scoping Review of Studies Examining Family Variables Related to Preschool Aggression

BACKGROUND

A growing body of research has shown that children behave aggressively from an early age. In recent decades, such behaviour has become a focus of scientific interest, not only because of the adverse consequences of these interactions, but also because high levels of aggression, especially at an early age, may be a risk factor for the use of other forms of aggression, such as bullying, later on during their development. These behaviours are related not only to individual characteristics, but also to peer relationships, teacher behaviours, school variables, family factors and cultural influences.

METHOD

In order to find out which family variables have been researched in relation to preschool aggression and which family variables are associated with perpetration and victimisation, a scoping review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Four databases (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed and PsycINFO) were used to map the studies published between 2000 and 2022.

RESULTS

This scoping review included 39 peer-reviewed articles from an initial sample of 2002 of them. The majority of studies looked only at perpetration behaviours. The main family variables covered in the articles concern parental behaviours, adverse childhood experiences in the family environment, and the household structural and sociodemographic characteristics.

CONCLUSION

This scoping review shows that different factors within the family environment increase the risk of developing aggressive and victimising behaviours in the preschool setting. However, the relationship between the family variables and preschool aggression is complex, and it may be mediated by other factors such as gender, child-teacher closeness or parent-child dyads.

Stability and Changes in Traditional and Cyberbullying Perpetration and Victimization in Childhood: The Predictive Role of Depressive Symptoms

Childhood bullying is a public health concern. The stability and changes in children's bullying profiles should provide useful information about specific risk groups and their developmental patterns. The current longitudinal study examined the stability and changes in bullying involvement in children along with the predictive roles of depressive symptoms in bullying subgroup memberships and transitions. A total of 4,321 Chinese children (55.1% male, M_age = 9.93) participated in self-report assessments at three time points with six-month intervals. Bullying subgroups were identified based on physical, relational, and cyberbullying using latent profile analysis. The transitions patterns were modeled using latent transition analysis. Depressive symptoms were added as a covariate in bullying subgroup memberships and transitions. Five bullying subgroups were found at Time 1 and Time 2: traditional bully-victims, traditional victims, (cyber) bully-victims, (cyber) victims, and noninvolved children, whereas four bullying subgroups were found at Time 3: traditional bully-victims, traditional victims, (cyber) bully-victims, and noninvolved children. Findings suggested that (a) childhood bullying involvement showed varying levels of stability, with noninvolved children displaying the most stability and cyberbullying-involved children displaying the least stability; (b) children reporting more severe depressive symptoms manifested a higher risk of bullying involvement; (c) initially noninvolved children showing depressive symptoms were at a higher risk for becoming traditional victims; and (d) children reporting depressive symptoms found it more difficult to escape from bullying than children without depressive symptoms. The findings offer support for both the cumulative continuity and interactional models of development. The findings also highlight the important the role of depressive symptoms in preventing and ameliorating children's bullying.

Challenging the "'Mean Kid"' Perception: Boys' and Girls' Profiles of Peer Victimization and Aggression from 4th to 10th Grades

Student involvement in peer aggression is assumed to include the uninvolved, victims, aggressors, and victim-aggressor groups. Yet, evidence supporting this four-group configuration is equivocal. Although most studies report the four groups, several of the aggressor groups could have been labeled as moderate victim-aggressors. This study first reviews studies identifying subgroups of students involved in verbal, relational, and physical aggression. The study then assesses students' perceived involvement in elementary (n = 2,071; Grades 4-6) and secondary school (n = 1,832; Grades 7-10), as well as the associations with outcomes (school belonging, depressive thoughts, and perceived school violence). Latent profile analysis identified three profiles (uninvolved, victim-only, and victim-aggressor) across all grades and genders. In primary school, the uninvolved, victim, and victim-aggressor respectively included 54.56%, 37.51%, and 7.83% of the girls, and 44.23%, 31.92%, and 23.85% of the boys. In secondary school, the uninvolved, victim, and victim-aggressor respectively included 80.16%, 14.93% and 4.91% of the girls, and 64.31%, 22.95% and 12.74% of the boys. Victims and victim-aggressors reported poorer adjustment than uninvolved students. Victims and victim-aggressors reported lower levels of school belonging and higher levels of depressive thoughts than uninvolved students. Also, victim-aggressors perceived more violence in their school than victims and uninvolved students, and victims perceived more violence than uninvolved students. These findings question the existence of an aggressor-only profile, at least, according to student perception, suggesting the need for a new perspective when intervening with students involved in peer aggression.

The development of forms and functions of aggression during early childhood: A temperament-based approach

This study used a short-term longitudinal design with theoretically derived preregistered hypotheses and analyses to examine the role of temperament in the development of forms (i.e., physical and relational) and functions (i.e., proactive and reactive) of aggressive behavior in early childhood (N = 300, M age = 44.70 months, SD = 4.38, 44% girls). Temperament was measured via behavioral reports of emotional dysregulation, fearlessness/daring, and rule internalization/empathy and, in a subsample that completed a physiological assessment, via skin conductance and respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Emotion dysregulation generally served as a risk factor for all subtypes of aggression, with evidence of stronger associations with reactive as compared to proactive functions of relational aggression for girls. Daring predicted increases in physical aggression, especially among boys, and rule internalization predicted decreases in relational aggression, especially among girls. Rule internalization mediated longitudinal associations between daring and proactive relational aggression for girls. Some evidence also emerged supporting associations between adaptive functioning (i.e., high empathy, high respiratory sinus arrhythmia) and proactive functions of aggression. Findings highlight distinct temperamental risk factors for physical versus relational aggression and provide partial support for gender-linked theories of the development of aggression.

Joint Developmental Trajectories of Bullying and Victimization from Childhood to Adolescence: A Parallel-Process Latent Class Growth Analysis

Previous studies have shown that bullying and victimization can be experienced simultaneously by an individual and can change over time. Understanding the joint longitudinal development of the two is of great significance. We conducted a 4-year longitudinal study to examine the joint developmental trajectories of bullying and victimization, gender and grade differences in trajectory group membership, and changes in specific forms of bullying and victimization (verbal, relational, and physical bullying /victimization) in each trajectory group. A total of 775 children from China participated in our study. The average age of participants at the first wave was 10.90 years (SD = 1.12), and boys accounted for 69.5% of the sample. Based on mean scores, four distinct joint developmental trajectories of bullying and victimization were found: the involvement group (both bullying and victimization increased from low to high over time, accounting for 7.6% of the total), the desisted group (both bullying and victimization decreased from high to low over time, 6.1%), the victimization group (victimization remained at a high level, whereas bullying remained at a low level for 3 years, 13.2%), and the noninvolved group (bullying and victimization remained at a stable low level, 73.1%). Boys were more likely than girls to belong to the involvement group, desisted group, and victimization group, whereas girls were more likely than boys to belong to the noninvolved group. There was no significant grade difference in the trajectory group. All forms of bullying/victimization were consistent with the overall trend and showed similar levels. These results have important implications for the prevention of and interventions for school bullying.

Early Adolescents' Social Achievement Goals and Perceived Relational Support: Their Additive and Interactive Effects on Social Behavior

The current study examined the additive and interactive effects of early adolescents' social achievement goals and perceived relational support from teachers and peers on their social behavior. Adolescents' social achievement goals (i.e., social development, social demonstration-approach, and social demonstration-avoidance), perceived relational support from teachers and peers, and social behavior (i.e., overt and relational aggression, prosocial behavior, and anxious solitary behavior) were assessed in a sample of fifth and sixth graders (M _age = 12.5; N = 677) nested within 26 classrooms. Multilevel modeling results indicated that social goals and relational support from teachers and peers made additive contributions to adolescents' social behavior. Results also indicated the evidence of interactive effects, such that relational support from teachers was negatively associated with overt and relational aggression primarily among adolescents who had high social demonstration-approach goals. Findings underscore the need to consider adolescents' social goals in conjunction with their perceived relational support for educators and practitioners.

Latent classes of aggression and peer victimization: Measurement invariance and differential item functioning across sex, race-ethnicity, cohort, and study site

Peer victimization is common and linked to maladjustment. Prior research has typically identified four peer victimization subgroups: aggressors, victims, aggressive‐victims, and uninvolved. However, findings related to sex and racial‐ethnic differences in subgroup membership have been mixed. Using data collected in September of 2002 and 2003, this study conducted confirmatory latent class analysis of a racially‐ethnically diverse sample of 5415 sixth graders (49% boys; 50.6% Black; 20.9% Hispanic) representing two cohorts from 37 schools in four U.S. communities to replicate the four subgroups and evaluate measurement invariance of latent class indicators across cohort, sex, race‐ethnicity, and study site. Results replicated the four‐class solution and illustrated that sociodemographic differences in subgroup membership were less evident after accounting for differential item functioning.

The links between students’ relationships with teachers, likeability among peers, and bullying victimization: the intervening role of teacher responsiveness

Highly responsive teachers tend to foster behaviors that are low in conflict and high in prosociality, among their students, leading to a positive classroom climate and to a decrease in bullying victimization. However, little is known about the interaction between teacher responsiveness and both student–teacher, and student–student relationship characteristics, in influencing students’ bullying victimization at school. Here, we examined student–teacher relationship quality and students’ likeability among peers as predictors of in-school victimization. Additionally, we investigated the moderating role of teacher responsiveness over this link. Study sample consisted of 386 early-adolescent students (55.2% female, mean age [SD] = 12.17 [0.73]) and 19 main teachers (females, n = 14). Findings indicated that students’ exposure to victimization was positively associated with student–teacher conflict and negatively associated with likeability among classroom peers. Teacher responsiveness did not show a significant direct association with bullying victimization. However, when teachers showed high responsiveness, the strength of the association between student–teacher conflict and students’ likelihood of bullying victimization was slightly increased. The present study highlights the importance of considering the role of teacher responsiveness when modeling the link between student and teacher relationship quality and in school bullying victimization.

Co-occurring Trajectories of Direct Aggression and Prosocial Behaviors in Childhood: Longitudinal Associations With Peer Acceptance

This study examined the longitudinal associations among children’s direct (physical and verbal) aggression, prosocial behaviors, and peer group acceptance in middle childhood (Grades 1 to 4). Children’s co-occurring aggressive and prosocial behaviors were assessed in order to identify distinct trajectory subgroups. Subsequently, variations in the development (i.e., continuity and changes) in peer acceptance were examined for each of the identified subgroups. The sample consisted of 784 children who were ethnically and socioeconomically diverse (47% girls, 37.4% Latino or Hispanic, 34.1% European American, and 23.2% African American; about 65% low SES) who were followed longitudinally from Grades 1 to 4 (M_age = 6.57 years old in Grade 1). Results revealed several distinct trajectory subgroups, including children who were primarily aggressive or prosocial, as well as children who exhibited co-occurring aggression and prosocial behaviors. Comparing these subgroups, the use of co-occurring prosocial behaviors appeared to have some protective effect on aggressive children’s peer acceptance. However, aggression was nonetheless associated with lower peer acceptance. The findings provide insights pertaining to the heterogeneity among aggressive children, the protective effects of prosocial behaviors on peer acceptance, and the differential effects of moderate versus high aggression.

Development of aggressive-victims from childhood through adolescence: Associations with emotion dysregulation, withdrawn behaviors, moral disengagement, peer rejection, and friendships

At multiple developmental periods spanning from middle childhood through adolescence, we investigated the development of aggressive-victims. Multiple-informant data collected across four grade levels (1, 5, 8, and 11; N = 482; 50% females) was used to perform person-centered analyses including latent profile and latent transition analyses in order to examine the co-occurring development of multiple forms (i.e., physical, verbal, and relational) of aggression and peer victimization. Results indicated that there were two distinct subgroups of aggressive-victims, one of which was more relational in form (i.e., relational aggressive-victims), and children in these two subgroups were distinguishable with respect to their individual characteristics (emotion dysregulation, withdrawn behaviors, and moral disengagement) and relational experiences (peer rejection and friendships). Furthermore, the findings elucidated the mechanisms by which developmental continuity and change (i.e., transitions) among the subgroups occurred across childhood and adolescence.

Trajectories of peer victimization in elementary school children: Associations with changes in internalizing, externalizing, social competence, and school climate

The current study examines the developmental changes (internalizing and externalizing symptoms, social competence, and experiences of school climate) in children who follow distinct trajectories of peer victimization in a sample of elementary school children across 2 years. Data were from children, and their parents and teachers, in Grades 1-3 followed across five waves. Latent class analyses revealed four distinct victimization trajectory groups characterized by chronically high, increasing, decreasing, or low-stable levels across time. Multilevel analyses showed that children in the chronically high peer victimization group had higher initials levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms, lower levels of social competence, and poorer experiences of school climate compared to children in the low-stable group. Over time, children in the increasing group had slower rates of increases in social competence than children in the low-stable group and had worsening experiences of school climate compared to children in the low-stable peer victimization group. Findings suggest children who are chronically victimized may be at a developmental disadvantage compared to children who report little or declining peer victimization over time.

Gender differences across multiple types of prosocial behavior in adolescence: A meta-analysis of the prosocial tendency measure-revised (PTM-R)

INTRODUCTION

Literature on adolescent prosocial behavior (PB) has grown tremendously since the development of The Prosocial Tendency Measure-Revised (PTM-R), which includes subscales assessing different types of PB. However, findings of gender differences are inconsistent across studies. Thus, we computed meta-analyses to examine gender differences in adolescents' PB. Further, we examined the moderating roles of type of PB, and various sample (i.e., mean age, gender composition, ethnic composition) and study (i.e., reporter type, measurement form, reliability) characteristics in gender differences in PB.

METHODS

Using online databases (e.g., ProQuest), journal article references, and conference programs, we identified a total of 46 records from 32 studies (215 effect sizes, N = 12,024) across the globe that had measured adolescents' (age 10-18; 51% male) PB using the PTM-R or the PTM.

RESULTS

Gender differences in the PB were small to medium in magnitude (ds ranged from 0 to 0.35) for absolute gender differences (i.e., overall magnitude of gender differences regardless of which gender was higher). There were larger gender differences for gender-typed prosocial behaviors (e.g., altruistic, d = 0.35) than gender-neutral behaviors (e.g., anonymous, d = 0.03). The type of PB (i.e., altruistic, compliant, public, emotional, dire, anonymous) and region (i.e., European, U.S., traditional cultures, Asian) and were significant moderators.

CONCLUSIONS

Although males and females generally are more similar than different in their prosociality, it is important to consider the type of PB when examining gender differences.

Explanatory model of violent behaviours, self-concept and empathy in schoolchildren. Structural equations analysis

The increased visibility of bullying cases has led the scientific community to be more interested in analysing the factors affecting these behaviours in order to reduce bullying cases and their negative consequences. The aim of this study was to define and contrast an explanatory model that makes it possible to analyse the relationships between self-concept, empathy and violent behaviours in schoolchildren through structural equation analysis. The sample of this study is made up of 734 schoolchildren from the province of Granada (Spain), both male and female, aged between 10 and 12, and it consists of analysing self-concept (AF-5), empathy levels (TECA) and violent behaviour at schools (ECV). A structural equation model was performed and successfully adjusted (χ2 = 563.203; DF = 59; p < 0.001; CFI = 0.943; NFI = 0.937; IFI = 0.943; RMSEA = 0.076). A positive and direct relationship between self-concept and cognitive empathy has been found; manifest aggression is negatively related to self-concept. Similarly, affective empathy has a negative relationship with relational aggression. The main conclusions of this study are that the levels of self-concept and empathy represent protective factors against the development of violent and victimisation behaviours in schoolchildren.

Exploring the Dimensional Structure of Bullying Victimization Among Primary and Lower-Secondary School Students: Is One Factor Enough, or Do We Need More?

In adolescence, bullying victimization is typically represented in terms of a three-fold factor structure reflecting three components of verbal, physical, and social victimization. Recent studies have suggested the usefulness of alternativte models including both general and component-specific factors. In this study, we assessed the empirical and theoretical validity of an instrument assessing verbal, physical and social victimization using a set of alternative models of victimization: a unidimensional model, a three-factor model, and a bifactor model. Association between emerging factors and student variables were explored to establish theoretical fit of the models. Sample consisted of upper primary and lower secondary school students [N = 1311; 53% Male; Mean age (SD) = 10.73 (1.45)] and their teachers. The three factor and bifactor models showed good fit. In spite of acceptable fit, the unidimensional model showed lower empirical support when compared with the other models. The dimensions of the three-factor model showed similar associations with most student variables, while the bifactor showed more heterogeneous, and theoretically coherent associations. General victimization decreased with age and was positively related with externalizing and internalizing symptoms, student-teacher conflict and negative expectations. Verbal victimization showed increased prevalence among girls and older students. Physical victimization showed increased prevalence among boys and younger students, and positive associations with externalizing symptoms and student-teacher conflict. Social victimization was more frequent among girls, and positively related with internalizing symptoms and negative expectations toward teachers. These findings highlight the usefulness of modeling victimization using both general and form-specific dimensions for both assessment and theory-building purposes.

Peer Victimization and Aggressive Behavior Among Chinese Adolescents: Delinquent Peer Affiliation as a Mediator and Parental Knowledge as a Moderator

Grounded in social network theory and a risk-buffering model, this study examined whether delinquent peer affiliation mediated the association between peer victimization and adolescent aggressive behavior and whether this mediating process was moderated by parental knowledge. A total of 4,209 Chinese adolescents (48.47% male, M_age = 13.68) completed questionnaires on peer victimization, parental knowledge, delinquent peer affiliation, and adolescent aggressive behavior. Path analyses showed that delinquent peer affiliation partially mediated the relationship between peer victimization and aggressive behavior. Moreover, parental knowledge had a protective effect of buffering the adverse influence of peer victimization on aggressive behavior. This indirect link was stronger for adolescents with low parental knowledge than for those with high parental knowledge. This finding highlights delinquent peer affiliation as a potential link between peer victimization and aggressive behavior and provides an effective intervention for addressing the adverse effects of peer victimization.