31 research outputs found
Testing the Direction of Longitudinal Paths between Victimization, Peer Rejection, and Different Types of Internalizing Problems in Adolescence
The transition to secondary school is accompanied by the fragmentation of peer groups, while adolescents are also confronted with heightened incidents of bullying and increased levels of internalizing problems. Victimization, peer rejection, and internalizing problems are known to be interrelated, but how they influence each other over time remains unclear. We tested the direction of these associations by applying a cross-lagged path model among a large sample of Finnish adolescents (N = 5645; 49.1 % boys; M age at T1 = 14.0 years) after they transitioned to secondary school (grades 7–9). Self-reported depression, anxiety, and victimization and peer-reported rejection were measured 3 times over the course of 1 year. Results showed that depression was predictive of subsequent victimization for both boys and girls, in line with a symptoms-driven model; for girls, anxiety was reciprocally related to victimization, in line with a transactional model; for boys, victimization was related to subsequent anxiety, in line with an interpersonal risk model. Peer rejection was not directly related to depression or anxiety, but among girls peer rejection was bi-directionally related to victimization. Overall, our results suggest that associations between internalizing problems and peer relations differ between depression and anxiety and between genders. Implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed
Moral Disengagement of Pure Bullies and Bully/Victims: Shared and Distinct Mechanisms
The vast majority of adolescents recognize that bullying is morally
wrong, yet bullying remains a problem in secondary schools, indicating
young people may disengage from their moral values to engage in
bullying. But it is unclear whether the same mechanisms enabling moral
disengagement are active for bully/victims (who both bully and are
bullied) as for pure bullies (who are not targets of bullying). This
study tested the hypotheses that mechanisms of moral disengagement,
including blaming the victim and minimizing the impact of bullying, may
operate differently in bully/victims compared to pure bullies. From a
sample of 1895 students from grades 7–9 (50.6% female; 83.4% from
English speaking homes), 1870 provided self-reports on bullying
involvement and mechanisms of moral disengagement associated with
bullying. Two cut-offs were compared for bullying involvement (as
perpetrator and as target of bullying) during the previous school term: a
conservative cut-off (every few weeks or more often) and a liberal
cut-off (once-or-twice). Using the conservative cut-off, both pure
bullies and bully/victims enlisted moral disengagement mechanisms to
justify bullying more than did uninvolved students and pure victims,
with no significant difference in scores on any of the moral
disengagement scales between pure bullies and bully/victims. For the
liberal cut-off, bully/victims reported lower overall moral
disengagement scores than did pure bullies, and specifically less
distortion of consequences, diffusion of responsibility, and euphemistic
labeling. This study advances bullying research by extending the role
of moral disengagement in bullying episodes beyond pure bullies to
victims, both pure victims and bully/victims. Examination of specific
moral disengagement mechanisms and the extent of involvement in bullying
enabled a more nuanced differentiation between the bullying groups.
These results will inform future interventions aimed at reducing the use
of moral disengagement mechanisms that sustain bullying and
victimization. Targeted interventions are needed to challenge specific
moral disengagement mechanisms from the perspectives of pure bullies and
bully/victims.</p
The KiVa antibullying program in primary schools in Chile, with and without the digital game component: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
BACKGROUND: Bullying is a major problem worldwide and Chile is no exception. Bullying is defined as a systematic aggressive behavior against a victim who cannot defend him or herself. Victims suffer social isolation and psychological maladjustment, while bullies have a higher risk for conduct problems and substance use disorders. These problems appear to last over time. The KiVa antibullying program has been evaluated in Finland and other European countries, showing preventive effects on victimization and self-reported bullying. The aims of this study are (1) to develop a culturally appropriate version of the KiVa material and (2) to test the effectiveness of the KiVa program, with and without the online game, on reducing experiences of victimization and bullying behavior among vulnerable primary schools in Santiago (Chile), using a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) design with three arms: (1) full KiVa program group, (2) partial KiVa (without online game) program group and (3) control group. METHODS AND DESIGN: This is a three-arm, single-blind, cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a target enrolment of 1495 4th and 5th graders attending 13 vulnerable schools per arm. Students in the full and partial KiVa groups will receive universal actions: ten 2-h lessons delivered by trained teachers during 1 year; they will be exposed to posters encouraging them to support victims and behave constructively when witnessing bullying; and a person designated by the school authorities will be present in all school breaks and lunchtimes using a visible KiVa vest to remind everybody that they are in a KiVa school. KiVa schools also will have indicated actions, which consist of a set of discussion groups with the victims and with the bullies, with proper follow-up. Only full KiVa schools will also receive an online game which has the aim to raise awareness of the role of the group in bullying, increase empathy and promote strategies to support victimized peers. Self-reported victimization, bullying others and peer-reported bullying actions, psychological and academic functioning, and sense of school membership will be measured at baseline and 12 months after randomization. DISCUSSION: This is the first cluster RCT of the KiVa antibullying program in Latin America. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT02898324 . Registered on 8 September 2016
Особенности развития малого предпринимательства в Украине
В этой работе рассмотрена эволюция предпринимательства Украины на всех этапах ее общественной жизни, в том числе в период экономического кризиса в годы становления независимости. Отражены основные параметры отнесения предприятий к субъектам малого предпринимательства и их роль в развитии экономики государств.У цій роботі розглянута еволюція підприємництва України на всіх етапах її суспільного життя, зокрема в період економічної кризи в роки становлення незалежності. Відображені основні параметри віднесення підприємств до суб'єктів малого підприємництва і їх роль в розвитку економіки держав
What Works for Whom in School-Based Anti-bullying Interventions? An Individual Participant Data Meta-analysis
The prevalence of bullying worldwide is high (UNESCO, 2018). Over the past decades, many anti-bullying interventions have been developed to remediate this problem. However, we lack insight into for whom these interventions work and what individual intervention components drive the total intervention effects. We conducted a large-scale individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis using data from 39,793 children and adolescents aged five to 20 years (Mage = 12.58, SD = 2.34) who had participated in quasi-experimental or randomized controlled trials of school-based anti-bullying interventions (i.e., 10 studies testing nine interventions). Multilevel logistic regression analyses showed that anti-bullying interventions significantly reduced self-reported victimization (d = − 0.14) and bullying perpetration (d = − 0.07). Anti-bullying interventions more strongly reduced bullying perpetration in younger participants (i.e., under age 12) and victimization for youth who were more heavily victimized before the intervention. We did not find evidence to show that the inclusion of specific intervention components was related to higher overall intervention effects, except for an iatrogenic effect of non-punitive disciplinary methods–which was strongest for girls. Exploratory analyses suggested that school assemblies and playground supervision may have harmful effects for some, increasing bullying perpetration in youth who already bullied frequently at baseline. In conclusion, school-based anti-bullying interventions are generally effective and work especially well for younger children and youth who are most heavily victimized. Further tailoring of interventions may be necessary to more effectively meet the needs and strengths of specific subgroups of children and adolescents. </p
Distinct profiles of reactive and proactive aggression in adolescents: associations with cognitive and affective empathy
Counteracting bullying in Finland: The KiVa program and its effects on different forms of being bullied
Telling an Adult at School about Bullying: Subsequent Victimization and Internalizing Problems
Objectives Bullied students are at increased risk of internalizing problems. Many school bullying-prevention programs encourage targets of bullying to seek help from an adult at school. However, few students report victimization to school staff, and reports do not always result in positive outcomes for the victimized student. This study aimed to understand factors associated with students telling an adult at school about experienced victimization, and victimization and internalizing problems a year after taking this action. Methods Students in Grade 7-9 (mean age 13 years) in 12 schools completed online surveys in 2015 (T1). Data from the victimized students (n = 316) were analyzed to determine factors associated with speaking with school staff about their experience. The Grade 7-8 students were surveyed again in 2016 (T2) and matched data on 101 students victimized at T1 used to compare the longer-term internalizing problems and victimization outcomes for students who spoke with staff. Results Victimization status and level of internalizing problems at T2 of students bullied at T1 were associated with telling an adult at T1, and these associations were moderated by severity of T1 victimization. For students more severely victimized at T1, speaking with a staff member was associated with increased odds of continued victimization at T2, but fewer internalizing problems when compared to those who did not tell. Conclusions To prevent persistent victimization, schools and teachers need to be better equipped to respond effectively when a student first becomes a target of bullying, and discourage ongoing perpetrator behavior.</p