This study provides a thorough psychometric evaluation of construct and criterion validity and measurement invariance of the promising Florence Bullying-Victimization Scales (FBVS). A special focus was devoted to the concurrent criterion validity of the victimization scale with regard to well-being and social self-efficacy. Exploratory and…

This study evaluated the relationship among use defending behaviors, gender, and self-esteem among students trained in a brief, bystander bullying intervention (N = 93). Students were taught four specific strategies to use to defend targets of bullying. We used hierarchical regression analyses to test a moderator model in which we hypothesized…

While there is a strong assumption of a direct link between family climate and school bullying victimization, studies on such a direct link have shown inconsistent results. Furthermore, family climate and children's social relationships with teachers and peers at school have been considered potential protective factors against school bullying…

Social dominance goals have been conceptualized as orientations toward powerful and prominent positions in the peer group. Although previous studies have identified social dominance goals as one of the main motivations behind bullying, few studies have disentangled the time-invariant (average level) from the time-varying (year-to-year) effects of…

Prior research links need for approval (NFA; the extent to which self-worth is contingent on peer approval or disapproval) to critical developmental outcomes, but little is known about how NFA develops over time or within social contexts. To address this gap, the present study used a sophisticated analytic approach (autoregressive latent…

This study aimed to shed light on the prevalence of chronic peer victimisation among Dutch elementary school children and factors associated with (non-)disclosure of such experiences by victims. 5,961 students from 73 schools participated (51.5% male; M[subscript age] = 9.96; 77.7% native Dutch). Results showed that 12.3% of all children were…

We analyzed a population-based cohort of 11,780 U.S. children to identify risk and protective factors by kindergarten predictive of being frequently verbally, social, reputationally, or physically victimized during the upper elementary grades. We also stratified the analyses by biological sex. Kindergarten children displaying externalizing problem…

We analyzed a population-based cohort of 11,780 US children to identify risk and protective factors by kindergarten predictive of being frequently verbally, social, reputationally, or physically victimized during the upper elementary grades. We also stratified the analyses by biological sex. Kindergarten children displaying externalizing problem…

The experience of peer victimization, or being the target of aggression, is common throughout childhood and adolescence and often results in negative developmental outcomes. Further knowledge of peer victimization is needed for effective prevention and intervention to promote positive youth development. The current study extends the victimization…

Evidence suggests that children's expectations for how their teacher responds to students' aggression moderate concurrent links between peer victimization and adjustment. This study extends this work by examining these associations longitudinally. Youth (N=366; 196 girls; M[subscript age]=9.25years) reported on their teacher's use of five…

The purpose of this study was to examine any relationships between students' perceptions of the effects of school uniforms and student socioeconomic status. A survey was administered to 182 students in a charter school to gather perception information, and a separate survey was administered to parents to gather socioeconomic status information. An…

Children's peer relationships are frequently assessed with peer nominations. An important methodological issue is whether to collect unlimited or limited nominations. Some researchers have argued that the psychometric differences between both methods are negligible, while others have claimed that one is superior over the other. The current study…

Background: Little research has examined the locations in which youth are victimized, particularly outside the school context. Further, it is not clear if the locations in which youth are victimized vary as a function of grade level or gender. Objective: The goals of the current study were to: (1) Determine the locations inside and outside of the…

Bullying is a problem that has been studied in schools worldwide, but there is little research on bullying within Christian schools, a dearth which may stem from the assumption that Christian schools teach character traits that are inimical to bullying. Yet understanding the extent and nature of bullying in Christian schools may lead to a better…

This study examined whether the degree to which bullying is normative in the classroom would moderate associations between "intra"- (cognitive and affective empathy, self-efficacy beliefs) and "inter"personal (popularity) factors and defending behavior. Participants were 6,708 third- to fifth-grade children (49% boys;…