Predictors of bullying and victimization in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analytic investigation.

Research on the predictors of 3 bully status groups (bullies, victims, and bully victims) for school-age children and adolescents was synthesized using meta-analytic procedures. The primary purpose was to determine the relative strength of individual and contextual predictors to identify targets for prevention and intervention. Age and how bullying was measured were also considered as moderators. From an original pool of 1,622 studies conducted since 1970 (when research on bullying increased significantly), 153 studies were identified that met criteria for inclusion. A number of common and unique predictors were found for the bully status groups. The implications of the meta-analytic findings for future research on bullying and victimization prevention and intervention are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bullying and Victimization in Elementary Schools: A Comparison of Bullies, Victims, Bully/Victims, and Uninvolved Preadolescents.

Research on bullying and victimization largely rests on univariate analyses and on reports from a single informant. Researchers may thus know too little about the simultaneous effects of various independent and dependent variables, and their research may be biased by shared method variance. The database for this Dutch study was large (N=1,065) and rich enough to allow multivariate analysis and multisource information. In addition, the effect of familial vulnerability for internalizing and externalizing disorders was studied. Gender, aggressiveness, isolation, and dislikability were most strongly related to bullying and victimization. Among the many findings that deviated from or enhanced the univariate knowledge base were that not only victims and bully/victims but bullies as well were disliked and that parenting was unrelated to bullying and victimization once other factors were controlled. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluating the impact of a multicomponent intervention model on teachers' awareness of social networks at the beginning of middle school in rural communities.

A randomized control trial was conducted to evaluate the impact of the Rural Early Adolescent Learning Program (Project REAL) on teachers' awareness of peer groups at the beginning of the 1st year of middle school. Two schools were randomly assigned to the intervention condition and 2 to the control condition. Thirty-nine teachers and 466 students (252 girls, 214 boys) participated in the study. As part of Project REAL, teachers were taught about social dynamics and early adolescent peer group processes. Social cognitive mapping procedures were used to assess and compare students' and teachers' perceptions of 6th grade peer groups. As compared with teachers in the control condition, intervention teachers were more likely to accurately identify peer groups. In addition, when the analyses were restricted to students who were involved in bullying, intervention teachers were more likely to accurately identify peer group membership. However, there were no significant differences between intervention and control teachers for the accurate peer group membership identification of specific bullying involvement subtypes (i.e., bullies, victims, bully victims). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construct validity of the multidimensional structure of bullying and victimization: An application of exploratory structural equation modeling.

Existing research posits multiple dimensions of bullying and victimization but has not identified well-differentiated facets of these constructs that meet standards of good measurement: goodness of fit, measurement invariance, lack of differential item functioning, and well-differentiated factors that are not so highly correlated as to detract from their discriminant validity and substantive usefulness in school settings. Here we demonstrate exploratory structural equation modeling, an integration of confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory factor analysis. On the basis of responses to the 6-factor Adolescent Peer Relations Instrument (verbal, social, physical facets of bullying and victimization), we tested invariance of factor loadings, factor variances–covariances, item uniquenesses, item intercepts (a lack of differential item functioning), and latent means across gender, year in school, and time. Using a combination of relations with student characteristics and a multitrait–multimethod analysis, we showed that the 6 bully/victim factors have discriminant validity over time and in relation to gender, year in school, and relevant psychosocial correlates (e.g., depression, 11 components of academic and nonacademic self-concept, locus of control, attitudes toward bullies and victims). However, bullies and victims are similar in many ways, and longitudinal panel models of the positive correlations between bully and victim factors suggest reciprocal effects such that each is a cause and an effect of the other. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preservice teachers' responses to bullying scenarios: Comparing physical, verbal, and relational bullying.

In the present study, 82 undergraduate students in a teacher education program responded to 6 written vignettes describing school bullying incidents. Scenarios described physical bullying, verbal bullying, and relational bullying events. Respondents rated relational bullying as the least serious of the 3 types. Participants had the least empathy for the victims of relational bullying and were least likely to intervene in relational bullying incidents. When asked to describe interventions they would use in these cases, the preservice teachers proposed the least severe actions for both perpetrators and victims of relational bullying compared with other forms of bullying. Results were compared with those of practicing teachers in a previous study. Implications for teacher education programs are discussed. Two supplemental studies, conducted to address concerns about seriousness of bullying scenarios, are also described. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Is the link between large high schools and student victimization an illusion?

To determine whether larger high schools have more student victimization than smaller schools, this study examined a statewide sample of approximately 7,431 ninth-grade students and 2,353 teachers in 290 Virginia high schools participating in the Virginia High School Safety Study. School size was distinguished from the proportion of students receiving free or reduced-price meals, percentage of minority students, ethnic diversity (heterogeneity), and urbanicity. In larger schools, teachers and students reported that they perceived more bullying and teasing taking place, but student self-reports of being a victim of bullying were not associated with school size. Additionally, school discipline records showed that although the total number of incidents was higher, the rate of bullying offenses was lower in larger schools. Similar results were found for measures of student threats and physical assaults. These findings raise the possibility that the link between larger schools and higher student victimization is an illusion based on perceived frequency rather than rates of victimization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Understanding bullying: From research to practice.

The high proportions of Canadian students who report bullying or being bullied confirm that this represents an important social problem. This paper describes the development of a new network (PREVNet--Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence) to address bullying in Canada, through the Networks of Centres of Excellence-New Initiatives funding. PREVNet's mandate is to identify university, government, and community partners, develop relationships, and create a viable and effective working network for social innovation. The PREVNet strategy is aimed at providing understanding, assessment tools, intervention and prevention strategies, and policy and advocacy about bullying problems and healthy relationships to all adults who interact with children and youth where they live, work, and play. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Same-gender and cross-gender peer acceptance and peer rejection and their relation to bullying and helping among preadolescents: Comparing predictions from gender-homophily and goal-framing approaches.

The relation between bullying and helping and same-gender and cross-gender peer acceptance and peer rejection was examined in a sample of preadolescents aged 11 and 12 years (N=1,065). The authors tested predictions from a gender-homophily approach vs. predictions from a goal-framing approach in which acceptance and rejection are seen as being generated by approach and avoidance goals, respectively. For preadolescents, both approaches predicted a central role for gender, but the gender-homophily approach predicted symmetrical effects for acceptance and rejection, whereas the goal-framing approach predicted strong asymmetries. The data supported the goal-framing approach. The most important findings were that for preadolescents, acceptance is much more frequent and much more gendered than rejection; the absolute impact of helping on acceptance is much larger than that of bullying (and vice versa for rejection); for acceptance, there is a prototypicality effect (i.e., boys accept bullying girls better than nonbullying girls, and girls accept helping boys better than nonhelping boys); and for acceptance, there is a cross-gender ignorance effect (i.e., boys ignore helping in girls, and girls ignore bullying in boys). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sense of coherence as a protective mechanism among targets of workplace bullying.

The present study investigated sense of coherence (SOC) as a protective factor among targets of workplace bullying. A hypothesis that strong SOC lessens the relationship between exposure to bullying and symptoms of posttraumatic stress was tested in a cross-sectional sample of 221 self-labeled targets of workplace bullying. The findings showed that SOC offers most protective benefits to targets exposed to low levels of bullying, whereas the benefits of SOC diminish as bullying becomes more severe. The results support previous findings that workplace bullying is a traumatic experience for those exposed to it, regardless of the target's available coping resources. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Group approaches to reducing aggression and bullying in school.

This article provides a definition of and introduction to aggression and bullying as it occurs in the school environment. Following an analysis of the extent of the bullying problem in contemporary school systems, the authors present a series of interventions developed to reduce the incidence of aggression and bullying in schools. All of the programs presented have in common the utilization of a group approach, and vary in their orientation from being psychoeducationally based to having a counseling emphasis. Finally, the overall effectiveness of group work for reducing aggression in schools is examined, and based on the findings the authors provide several recommendations for school administrators, counselors, and other mental health professionals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adolescents' implicit theories predict desire for vengeance after peer conflicts: Correlational and experimental evidence.

Why do some adolescents respond to interpersonal conflicts vengefully, whereas others seek more positive solutions? Three studies investigated the role of implicit theories of personality in predicting violent or vengeful responses to peer conflicts among adolescents in Grades 9 and 10. They showed that a greater belief that traits are fixed (an entity theory) predicted a stronger desire for revenge after a variety of recalled peer conflicts (Study 1) and after a hypothetical conflict that specifically involved bullying (Study 2). Study 3 experimentally induced a belief in the potential for change (an incremental theory), which resulted in a reduced desire to seek revenge. This effect was mediated by changes in bad-person attributions about the perpetrators, feelings of shame and hatred, and the belief that vengeful ideation is an effective emotion-regulation strategy. Together, the findings illuminate the social–cognitive processes underlying reactions to conflict and suggest potential avenues for reducing violent retaliation in adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of general and homophobic victimization on adolescents' psychosocial and educational concerns: The importance of intersecting identities and parent support.

Many adolescents experience peer victimization, which often can be homophobic. Applying the minority stress model with attention to intersecting social identities, this study tested the effects of general and homophobic victimization on several educational outcomes through suicidality and school belonging among 15,923 adolescents in Grades 7 through 12 on account of their sexual orientation and race/ethnicity. Parent support also was tested as a moderator of these effects. Homophobic victimization had different effects on suicidality across groups, indicating the importance of considering individuals' multiple social identities. However, homophobic victimization had universal negative effects on school belonging for all groups. Nearly all indirect effects of general and homophobic victimization on reported grades, truancy, and importance of graduating were significant through suicidality and school belonging across groups. Parent support was most consistent in moderating the effects of general and homophobic victimization on suicidality for heterosexual White and racial/ethnic minority youth. In nearly all cases, it did not moderate the effects of general or homophobic victimization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth. Furthermore, in most cases, parent support did not moderate the effects of general or homophobic victimization on school belonging. Findings underscore the need for counseling psychologists to work with parents of all youth on ways to provide support to those who experience homophobic victimization. Furthermore, they highlight the need for counseling psychologists to be involved as social justice advocates in the passage and implementation of school policies that address homophobic bullying and other forms of bias-based bullying and harassment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Observing bullying at school: The mental health implications of witness status.

This study explores the impact of bullying on the mental health of students who witness it. A representative sample of 2,002 students aged 12 to 16 years attending 14 schools in the United Kingdom were surveyed using a questionnaire that included measures of bullying at school, substance abuse, and mental health risk. The results suggest that observing bullying at school predicted risks to mental health over and above that predicted for those students who were directly involved in bullying behavior as either a perpetrator or a victim. Observing others was also found to predict higher risk irrespective of whether students were or were not victims themselves. The results are discussed with reference to past research on bystander and witness behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Workplace bullying: The role of psychosocial work environment factors.

Utilizing reports from both observers and direct targets, the authors examined the role of psychosocial work environment factors in workplace bullying, focusing on the moderating effects of control and support resources against job demands. Our sample was 716 Australian frontline police officers who completed an anonymous mail survey. In a direct test of Job Demand-Control-Support theory, the authors found that increased levels of bullying (as assessed by targets and observers) were associated with potentially high stress situations: as job demands increased and as support and control resources decreased. Also, consistent with previous research, most perpetrators were ranked higher than the target, reflecting the role of power in facilitating bullying. Our research is unique in finding evidence for moderating factors within the psychosocial environment and suggests risk assessment of the work environment as an avenue for bullying prevention. Future research should examine more closely the mechanisms underlying bullying within stressful work environments and the reciprocal effect of witnessing and experiencing bullying on psychosocial working conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The destructiveness of laissez-faire leadership behavior.

The aim of the study is to test the assumption that laissez-faire leadership behavior is not a type of zero-leadership, but a type of destructive leadership behavior that shows systematic relationships with workplace stressors, bullying at work, and psychological distress. A survey of 2,273 Norwegian employees was conducted and analyzed. Laissez-faire leadership was positively correlated with role conflict, role ambiguity, and conflicts with coworkers. Path modeling showed that these stressors mediated the effects of laissez-faire leadership on bullying at work and that the effects of laissez-faire leadership on distress were mediated through the workplace stressors, especially through exposure to bullying. The results support the assumption that laissez-faire leadership behavior is a destructive leadership behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Building a framework for two internal organizational approaches to resolving and preventing workplace bullying: Alternative dispute resolution and training.

Workplace bullying is behavior that threatens, intimidates, humiliates, or isolates people at work, or undermines their reputation or job performance. Moving beyond research, academics and employment practitioners are beginning to address the need to design and implement organizational antibullying policies, training, conflict management programs and systems, and possibly, antibullying public policy and legislation. Consultants will play a key role in helping organizations develop and implement internal organizational programs. In this paper the authors describe alternative dispute resolution systems and workplace training. Key objectives include arriving at a clear definition of workplace bullying, fostering individual, organizational, and societal awareness of the prevalence and consequences of workplace bullying; and providing specific guidance and mechanisms for individuals, managers, human resource departments, corporate leadership, union representatives, attorneys, physicians, counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists, for preventing and handling bullying incidents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

U.S. Workplace bullying: Some basic considerations and consultation interventions.

Bullying in the workplace is a worldwide phenomenon. There is a sizable professional literature on workplace bullying based largely on studies in European and other countries in comparison to studies involving U.S. corporations. Psychological consultants to U.S. corporations need to know and understand how certain considerations such as prevalence, legal reform and issues, and employers’ response to bullying differ in the United States compared with other countries. This article provides an overview of these considerations, emphasizing prevalence studies on bullying in the United States. It then describes one successful consultation intervention that targeting bullying in a U.S. corporation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preventing workplace mobbing and bullying with effective organizational consultation, policies, and legislation.

Workplace mobbing or workplace bullying has only recently entered the lexicon of the American workplace. Although its impact is devastating to the health and well-being of individuals, organizations also experience its effects in terms of loss of productivity, absenteeism, turnover, legal costs, and negative publicity. Legislation and policy development are 2 key initiatives that, used wisely, can help prevent such mobbing and bullying. Although the United States currently has no legislation addressing workplace abuse, it is anticipated that bullying and mobbing will be the next legislative front for the protection of workers and the improvement of workplace culture. Today, many organizations are working with consultants to develop policies to prevent bulling/mobbing and to foster high-care work environments. A template for developing effective antimobbing/antibullying organizational policies is provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of the consulting psychologist in the prevention, detection, and correction of bullying and mobbing in the workplace.

It is clear that psychological aggression is both common in workplaces and harmful to individuals and organizations. An emerging line of research examines organizational responses to allegations of bullying and mobbing. As a result, some researchers now identify processes for detecting, correcting, and preventing bullying and mobbing. Strategies to improve the quality of working life such as surveillance, policy development, training, coaching, and the development of selection, performance management, and reward systems that set standards for collaborative and supportive behavior at work are all necessary to move organizations toward eliminating tolerance of bullying and mobbing. Consulting psychologists have the expertise to provide such interventions because of their in-depth understanding of personality, testing, and assessment, and the application of these concepts to selection, coaching, and performance management. The consulting psychologist brings an attention to human factors that humanize the workplace. The author reviews research on bullying and mobbing, adds practitioner insights based on 13 years of practice in this area, and discusses interventions applied in practice settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)