Functions of Aggression and Peer Victimization in Elementary School Children: The Mediating Role of Social Preference

This study examined the longitudinal associations among functions of aggression, social preference, and peer victimization. Participants were 492 children (249 girls, 227 boys) in grades 2-5. Proactive and reactive aggression was assessed via a self-report measure and indices of social preference and peer victimization were assessed via a peer nomination inventory. Data was collected during the fall and spring of two academic years. Results suggest that the relation between aggression, social preference, and peer victimization varied by the function of aggression and gender. For girls, reactive aggression was a significant negative predictor of social preference. Findings also revealed social preference mediated the relation between reactive aggression and peer victimization for girls. This pathway did not hold for boys. There was some evidence that proactive aggression was negatively associated with peer victimization, but only for girls. Findings from the current study suggest social preference may be a key mechanism through which reactive aggression is associated with future victimization for girls. Boys’ aggression was not related to subsequent peer victimization. Future research and intervention efforts should consider gender differences and the function of aggression when investigating children’s peer victimization experiences

The Bullying Attribution Scale: An initial examination of factor structure and construct validity

Peer victimization is a serious problem that continues to deserve the attention of researchers. It is a group process in which most children participate, and each participant in this process (e.g., victims, bullies, bystanders) is at risk for maladjustment. It is imperative that we identify the risk factors that perpetuate peer victimization experiences, and understanding how children explain the reasons behind this phenomenon may shed light on why peer victimization is sustained over time. Few quantitative studies, however, have examined the specific reasons children (regardless of victim status) offer for why peer victimization occurs. This study seeks to address this gap in the literature by identifying the factor structure and evaluating the psychometric properties of the Bullying Attribution Scale in a sample of 3rd and 4th grade elementary school students. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 3-factor solution, and factors were labeled Victim Otherness, Victim Sensitivity and Studiousness, and Bully-Victim Conflict. Internal consistency of the factors was good to adequate. Victim Otherness positively predicted self-reported bullying and internalizing symptoms at a single time point, and teacher-reported bullying over time. Bully-Victim Conflict positively predicted peer-reported bullying and negatively predicted peer-reported victimization over time. Several of these longitudinal associations depended on initial levels of self-reported peer victimization. Children identified as victims were more likely to endorse Victim Otherness than children uninvolved in bullying. Few other mean-level differences were found when examining attributions by bully-victim status, suggesting that children are generally at a consensus when ascribing reasons for why peer victimization occurs

Pilot study of symptom burden and quality of life among families of children in palliative care or hospice

Purpose: Despite calls for improvement in pediatric palliative care, children may have significant suffering at end-of-life (EOL). Research is limited and relies heavily on retrospective reports from mothers or nurses. We prospectively assessed symptom burden and quality of life (QOL) among children with life limiting conditions to examine concordance across multiple informants (i.e., mother, father, child, nurse). Method: Families were recruited shortly after their child (ages 5-18) was enrolled in palliative care or hospice. Of 36 eligible families, 8 children died before recruitment. Of the remaining 28, 25 (89%) participated. Participants included 25 mothers, 14 fathers, 12 children (Mage = 11.4, SD = 3.4). On average, the sample of children was White (72%) and female (52%); 60% had complex chronic conditions, and 40% had cancer. Mothers, fathers, nurses, and children (who were able to self-report) completed the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS), and parents and children completed the PedsQL in the home. Results: A similar number of symptoms were reported for children by mother (M = 9.5, SD = 3.3), father (M = 10.3, SD = 3.0), and self-report (M = 10.6, SD = 3.3), but nurses (M = 5.3, SD = 3.3) reported about half as many symptoms (p \u3c .01). For composite symptom scores (i.e., weighted for frequency, severity, bother), nurses reported the highest scores, followed by mothers, fathers, and children. Paired t-tests show differences between nurse and mother (p \u3c .08), nurse and father (p \u3c .01), and mother and father (p \u3c .01) composite scores. QOL was well below normal according to mothers (M = 50.4, SD = 22.1), fathers (M = 40.9, SD = 18.7), and children (M = 53.2, SD = 17.6). Higher symptom burden was strongly and consistently associated with worse QOL across informants (r = -.34 to -.69). Conclusion: Preliminary findings indicate high symptom burden in children at EOL and its negative impact on the child’s QOL. Nurses report significantly fewer symptoms than families but higher composite scores when considering frequency, severity, and bother. Implications for Practice: Discrepant reports on symptom burden indicate significant gaps in communication between families and healthcare providers, as well as the need for future research to inform clinical care and improve the QOL of children at the EOL