Stability and change of outsider behavior in school bullying: the role of shame and guilt in a longitudinal perspective

We analyzed developmental changes in outsider behavior, testing whether the likelihood that it turns into bullying or defending over time depends on the individual proneness to feel shame or guilt. Participants were 155 preadolescents (72 boys and 83 girls; (Formula presented.)ageat T1 = 10.74 years). Bullying, defending, and outsider behaviors were assessed twice by peer nominations. Shame- and guilt-proneness were assessed at T1 by a self-report questionnaire. All behaviors appeared quite stable; however, regression analyses revealed that shame and guilt were associated with outsider developmental pathway. In particular, students steadily presented outsider behavior after a 9-month period if they showed low guilt or high shame at T1. Results are discussed in terms of future directions for research and interventions

Differential effects of the KiVa anti-bullying program on popular and unpopular bullies

This study utilized data from the evaluation of the Finnish KiVa program in testing the prediction that school bullies' high perceived popularity would impede the success of anti-bullying interventions. Multiple-group structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses were conducted on a subsample of 911 third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders identified as perpetrators of bullying. They belonged to 77 Finnish schools, including 39 schools implementing the KiVa program and 38 control schools. Data on peer-reported bullying and perceived popularity were collected before program implementation and one year later. Controlling for sex, age, and initial levels of bullying, KiVa participation resulted in lower rates of bullying (indicated by fewer peer nominations) after one year for bullies of low and medium popularity. However, there was no significant effect for those high in popularity, suggesting that popular bullies are less responsive to anti-bullying interventions than less popular bullies.</p

The relationship between mindfulness meditation and well-being during 8 weeks of ecological momentary assessment

ObjectivesThe main effects of 8-week mindfulness-based programs (MBP) on anxiety and depression are now supported by reasonably robust evidence. However, few to no studies have looked at whether and how these main effects come to be over the course of the MBP. The goal of the present study was to look at how meditation practice predicted changes in well-being, and vice versa, at a weekly level, within an 8-week online MBP.MethodsThe participants were 457 Finnish upper secondary education students who underwent an 8-week online MBP. App-based ecological momentary assessment data were collected on how many minutes the participants meditated (daily) and their anxiety, happiness, and sleep problems (weekly). These data were analyzed using a longitudinal (nine time point) path model.ResultsParticipants’ weekly minutes of mindfulness meditation were a consistent, albeit weak, predictor of decreases in anxiety and increases in happiness. During the course of the study, answer rates declined from 75.7% (Time 0) to 27.4% (Time 8) for anxiety, happiness, and sleep and from 80.5% to 37.0% for meditation minutes.ConclusionsResults suggest well-being improvement from mindfulness meditation is an ongoing process and that ecological momentary assessment is a promising methodology for studying it.</div

An Effectiveness Study of a Digital Mindfulness-Based Program for Upper Secondary Education Students

Objectives Mindfulness-based programs/interventions (MBPs) are emerging as treatments for anxiety and stress for adults and adolescents. MBPs can also be helpful as universal interventions for healthy subjects. Few studies have looked at how beneficial MBP effects transfer to digital MBPs. Methods The study was a randomized controlled trial with 1349 participants aged mostly 16-19. We compared a digital MBP vs. a waitlist condition. Online questionnaire data were collected pre-program, post-program, and at 3-month follow-up. Results Completing the MBP resulted in a small-to-moderate reduction in anxiety (F-1,F-681 = 13.71,p < .01,d = .26), a small reduction in depression (F-1,F-686 = 8.54,p < .01,d = .15), and a small increase in psychological quality of life (F-1,F-708 = 3.94,p = .05,d = .16). Attrition rate for the MBP was 41.5%. Conclusions The results suggest that digital MBPs can be successful in delivering at least some of the benefits characteristic of face-to-face MBPs

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

The Healthy Context Paradox at a National/Country-Level: Is Victimisation associated with Worse Adjustment in Countries where the Average Level of Victimisation is Lower?

Recent research has highlighted the healthy context paradox (HCP), namely that the association between peer victimisation and psychological and social adjustment worsens in social contexts with lower average level of victimisation. Previous research has examined this phenomenon in relation to classroom- or school-level victimisation. We tested whether the HCP is applicable on a much wider scale, at national level. Besides country-level victimisation, we explored whether country-level economic inequality and social welfare protection moderate the victimisation-adjustment link. We used data from the HBSC 2013/2014 survey related to peer victimisation and five measures of health and wellbeing of 11-, 13- and 15-year-old boys and girls from 40 countries (N = 198,646) in Europe and North America, complemented with information on economic inequality (Gini index, available for 33 countries) and social protection (decommodification index, available for 25 countries). We confirmed an expected within-country correlation between higher levels of victimisation and poorer health and wellbeing for each measure and across countries; however this association had significant between-country variability. For country-level victimisation, there was evidence of a significant HCP effect for the measures of peer support and life satisfaction – but not for feeling low, health, and liking school