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“My Best Friend Always Did and Still Does Betray Me Constantly”: Examining Relational and Physical Victimization Within a Dyadic Friendship Context
Abstract
This study was an investigation of the nature of victimization within the context of dyadic peer friendships. In particular, relational and physical victimization were examined to determine whether level of victimization by a friend varied as a function of sex or having a reciprocated friendship. Qualities of the friendship and satisfaction with the friendship were explored as predictors of both forms of victimization. The sample consisted of 384 children in Grades 4 to 6 (M = 10.5 years of age). Girls in relationally victimizing friendships described these relationships as high in both positive and negative friendship qualities, whereas both boys and girls in physically and physically plus relationally victimizing friendships described their relationships as more negative across all friendship quality variables. All children in victimizing relationships reported less satisfaction than those in nonvictimizing relationships. Using regression analyses, we were able to predict almost half of the variance in relational victimization and almost a third of the variance in physical victimization from friendship quality ratings. Some implications for prevention and intervention are discussed.
... Furthermore, attachment relationships would be somewhat parallel to early childhood attachment relationships, in that in time of need, or when undergoing a crisis or difficult time, while friendships, might be sought out when one wants to have fun, is happy, and has no immediate concerns or fears (Buote et al., 2009). Research evidence how conflict, jealousy and aggressive feelings can be detrimental to children's wellbeing and how low acceptance among peers negatively influences their sociability and learning (Ladd, 1990;Daniels et al., 2010). ...
... Furthermore, friendships can protect against feelings of low self-worth as children feel they are not alone, especially if they previously experienced discrimination (Fox & Boulton, 2006). Similarly, the lack of friendship and the presence of bullying and conflict may have an adverse effect on children's self-esteem (Daniels et al., 2010). ...
... The parents in this study highlighted young children's self-esteem, and sense of feeling good about themselves, which is crucial to their wellbeing. A range of research (Daniels et al., 2010;Gauze et al., 1996) attests to the reciprocal relationship between self-image and friendship, with one potentially having a positive impact on the other. ...
The aim of this study was to find out if educational activities about friendship can lead to children's well-being, socialization and adaptation in the preschool setting according to parents’ perceptions. It is generally accepted that there are strong links between subjective feelings of well-being and companionship (family solidarity and friendship). We gain happiness through our relationships with other people. The relationships in the early years of human life are significant in the development of a healthy and happy human being. A qualitative study using educational activities such as pretend play, drawings and a friend's party among parents, children and teachers was applied. Fifty-two Greek pre-school kids participated in the project. After the 2-month implementation project, 25 semi-structured interviews were carried out with volunteering parents whose children participated. Each was recorded and then transcribed verbatim. Ethical considerations included confidentiality, possibility to withdraw items and approval of both parents and municipal authorities. Interviews revealed that activities dedicated to friendship at the beginning of the school year, could direct to bonding among children, shorter adaptation period and a positive parents’ attitude toward school and staff. Although parents were not actively involved in this curriculum, they were able to recognize changes on their children's well-being and adjustment. The importance of this educational program is highlighted in happy bonding among all and in involving parents in school life.
... Although youth may not want the friendship to end, they also may not be particularly satisfied with the friendship. Daniels et al. (2010) found that youth victimized by their friends reported lower friendship satisfaction than nonvictims. In contrast, however, Wei and Jonson-Reid (2011) found that victimized youth reported higher liking of peers who were both aggressive and friends compared with non-friends (they did not compare with peers who were friends but not aggressive). ...
... There are conflicting findings regarding gender differences in aggression between friends. Some suggest that boys have higher rates of victimization by friends than do girls (Daniels et al., 2010), others find that girls have more victimization in friendship groups than do boys (at least for relational victimization; Closson & Watanabe, 2018), and still others find no gender differences in ANDREWS ET AL. | 195 aggression between friends (Brendgen et al., 2015;Goldstein, 2011;Waasdorp et al., 2010). In addition to these conflicting findings, like other individual-level studies, the gender of the friend(s) is unknown. ...
... When characterizing the friendships of dyads that involved aggression, our results indicated that the friendships were likely to continue, despite victimized youths' lower satisfaction with the relationships (though, note that mean levels of satisfaction were still fairly high). It is possible that victimized youth recognize that they are not satisfied in friendships with peers who target them (see Daniels et al., 2010), yet struggle to terminate the relationship ANDREWS ET AL. ...
Youth are sometimes victimized by their friends, but we know little about the nature of these relationships. Taking a dyadic approach, we studied relationships characterized by both friendship and aggression. Participants (952 middle schoolers; 50% female; 44% Latinx) nominated friends and aggressive perpetrators and victims. Using two analytic samples of friend dyads (N = 6971) and aggressive dyads (N = 4662), results indicated that aggression by a friend was somewhat common. Compared with friend dyads without aggression, aggressive friend dyads were stronger (i.e., reciprocal) and longer lasting, though victimized youth were less satisfied with the friendship. Aggressive dyads who were friends more often had reciprocal aggression than aggressive dyads who were not friends. Results provide insight into the dynamics of aggression in close peer relationships.
... It could be that dependent victims reduce their perception of how harmful some aggression toward them may be, or even dismiss the harm in order to maintain the friendship. Daniels et al. (2010) have suggested that victims might be dependent on an aggressor for other friendship needs, and this prevents them from leaving the relationship or retaliating against the aggressor. The implications associated with responses of this kind are disconcerting if relationships such as these become a prototype for victims in other relationships, including future romantic and adult relationships (Crick & Nelson, 2002;Daniels et al., 2010;Dodge & Coie, 1989). ...
... Daniels et al. (2010) have suggested that victims might be dependent on an aggressor for other friendship needs, and this prevents them from leaving the relationship or retaliating against the aggressor. The implications associated with responses of this kind are disconcerting if relationships such as these become a prototype for victims in other relationships, including future romantic and adult relationships (Crick & Nelson, 2002;Daniels et al., 2010;Dodge & Coie, 1989). ...
... Our findings point to the complexity of social relationships and interactions with peers in the school environment, also noted by Daniels et al. (2010), and to the difficulty of disentangling the sources of harmful peer aggression. Differences in the harm reported by adolescents in different world locations point to the diversity of response and effect of peer aggression and the importance of context. ...
... It could be that dependent victims reduce their perception of how harmful some aggression toward them may be, or even dismiss the harm in order to maintain the friendship. Daniels et al. (2010) have suggested that victims might be dependent on an aggressor for other friendship needs, and this prevents them from leaving the relationship or retaliating against the aggressor. The implications associated with responses of this kind are disconcerting if relationships such as these become a prototype for victims in other relationships, including future romantic and adult relationships (Crick & Nelson, 2002;Daniels et al., 2010;Dodge & Coie, 1989). ...
... Daniels et al. (2010) have suggested that victims might be dependent on an aggressor for other friendship needs, and this prevents them from leaving the relationship or retaliating against the aggressor. The implications associated with responses of this kind are disconcerting if relationships such as these become a prototype for victims in other relationships, including future romantic and adult relationships (Crick & Nelson, 2002;Daniels et al., 2010;Dodge & Coie, 1989). ...
... Our findings point to the complexity of social relationships and interactions with peers in the school environment, also noted by Daniels et al. (2010), and to the difficulty of disentangling the sources of harmful peer aggression. Differences in the harm reported by adolescents in different world locations point to the diversity of response and effect of peer aggression and the importance of context. ...
ABSTRACT
Research is sparse on who targets whom in peer aggression. In this study, we investigated the harm associated with the type of relationship between aggressed and aggressor with an international sample of over 5,000 students aged 11–16, living in 12 nations. Best friends and individuals with whom the respondent had no relationship were the least likely to engage in aggression, while one-third of peer aggression could be attributed to friends (not best friends), and classmates/peers. Greater harm was experienced between best
friends only when it involved relational aggression, such as spreading rumors and being left out. Harm from aggression varied by world location and number of different experiences of aggression, while gender and age differences were inconsistent. Intervention programs could take advantage of the vital role that friends play as socializing agents during adolescence that focus on the harmfulness of aggression undertaken in the guise of a joke.
... A small base of literature exists that suggests that one quarter to nearly one third of bullying occurs within friendships (Wei & Jonson-Reid, 2011). Furthermore, evidence indicates that bullying can even occur in friendships based on mutual-liking in which members feel a sense of relationship satisfaction (Daniels, Quigley, Menard, & Spence, 2010). Researchers have documented that both physical and relational victimization occur in friendships. ...
... Thus, victimized children typically opt not to disclose the bullying when it is perpetrated by a friend (deLara, 2012;Mishna et al., 2008). Studies have also revealed that children and adolescents are likely to continue in victimizing friendships despite their suffering (Bouchard et al., 2018;Crick & Nelson, 2002;Daniels et al., 2010;Mishna et al., 2008). Yet, the complex reasons underlying this choice are still largely unknown. ...
... These positive interludes also provide opportunities for victimized individuals to minimize the problem or to rationalize the aggression as temporary or exceptional moments in the relationship. Similarly, previous research has noted that the intermittency of maltreatment alternating with closeness is a common characteristic of bullying that occurs within friendships, and Traumatic Bonding Theory suggests that this may actually reinforce the relationship bonds between the victim and friend who bullies (Bouchard et al., 2018;Crick & Nelson, 2002;Daniels et al., 2010;Mishna et al., 2008). ...
Previous research indicates that victimized youth are reluctant to address their friends’ victimizing behaviors and are likely to remain in a victimizing friendship despite experiencing significant distress. Research investigating the complex factors underlying this commitment to victimizing friendships is required. To this end, a qualitative research design was used as previously victimized youth asynchronously contributed to an anonymous online discussion forum for 2 months. Guided by two theories used to understand staying/leaving processes in intimate partner violence and a social-ecological systems perspective, the data were captured into descriptive categories. The results demonstrate that adolescents ( N = 25) were reluctant to address their friends’ victimizing behaviors and many persisted in their victimizing friendships. The factors underlying this reluctance were categorized as cognitive, relational, and contextual. The results indicate that persisting in a friendship despite feeling victimized can seem paradoxical to outsiders but there are clear reasons underlying adolescents’ choices.
... For example, Mishna, Wiener, and Pepler's exploratory (2008) work indicated that children are often confused or unaware that they had experienced bullying or whether their friend was just "joking around" and "doesn't really mean it." Daniels, Quigley, Menard, and Spence's (2010) and Crick and Nelson's (2002) quantitative work also found that many children continue in their friendships despite experiencing victimization. Findings from other research suggests that victimized youth may appear to do little to change the circumstances of their victimizing friendship and may paradoxically work to "show friendship" in response to being victimized (Bouchard, Forsberg, Smith, & Thornberg, 2018). ...
... The cycling nature of victimization that was reported in our data provides more evidence that victimizing friendships contain positive and reaffirming moments alongside other negative relationship processes, such as dominance and abuse. This is akin to what Daniels et al. (2010), found in their study, where their child-participants rated their victimizing friendship as both high and low in quality. Our results also indicated that young people victimized by their friend(s) found it challenging to respond in ways that did not disrupt the social order of the friendship(s), which was similarly found in another study on younger children's responses to bullying by a friend (Mishna et al., 2008). ...
... Victimization can occur within friendship groups or dyads, and it is possible that some of the buffering effect of friend support is due to a lack of dyadic victimization, although the sensitivity analysis showed it likely does not play a large role. Even within friendships that include dyadic victimization, both positive and negative friendship quality can be quite high (Daniels et al., 2010). Studies that include more information on perpetrators of victimization can shed more light on the associations between friendship quality, dyadic victimization, and other types of victimization. ...
Although many studies have shown an association between peer victimization and internalizing problems, which may be buffered by friendship quality, it is unclear whether these associations apply to within-person processes as well. This would mean that at times when adolescents experience more victimization than they usually do, they also experience more internalizing problems. The current study disaggregated between- and within-person variation to examine the association between peer victimization and symptoms of depression and anxiety, and the protective effect of friend support and conflict. Participants were 497 Dutch adolescents (56% boys) with a mean age of 13.03 (SDage = 0.45, ranging from 11.68 to 15.56 at Wave 1). They participated in a 6-wave questionnaire study, with each wave taking place approximately one year after the previous. The results showed that peer victimization was associated with depressive symptoms and anxiety across adolescence, both between and within persons. Friend support buffered this association at the between-person level, but not the within-person level. This study highlights the impact of peer victimization and suggests that friend support may partly protect adolescents from the effects of peer victimization.
... Therefore, it is important that we understand more about what the role of LWS entails. Whilst the importance of children's friendships is becoming well established in the literature (Daniels et al., 2010;Hedges & Cooper, 2017;Peters, 2010;Brogaard-Clausen and Robson, 2019), to my knowledge there has been no research in relation to LWS since the 1990s and no studies focusing specifically on the role of the LWS in relation to children's friendships. This article therefore poses the question: How does the lunchtime welfare supervisor support children's friendships? ...
Friendship is of paramount importance to children’s holistic well-being and development. Friendship often runs smoothly, but when it runs into difficulties this can be unsettling and time consuming, particularly after the lunchtime break. This article makes an original contribution by placing the lunchtime period under scrutiny and specifically the role of lunchtime welfare supervisors in supporting children’s friendships. I adopt a case study approach, of year two provision (six- and seven-year-olds), involving five lunch time welfare supervisors and a Headteacher. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, field notes and visual images. Findings provide new insights into specific strategies in the ‘Friendship Toolkit’ employed by Lunchtime Welfare Supervisors [LWS] to support children’s friendships, including calming down techniques, the use of a ‘put it right area’, playground leaders and post lunchtime briefing meetings. By way of conclusion, I argue that while lunchtime welfare supervisors have been somewhat overlooked in the literature, their role is significant for promoting and developing opportunities for ‘children’s friendship agency’ and, when required, bespoke friendship support. LWS are therefore pivotal to children’s holistic well-being, learning and development and how children experience school life. Consequently, the role of the LWS in supporting children’s friendships has implications for practice through the application of the ‘friendship toolkit’ of strategies and providing opportunities for ‘children’s friendship agency’.
... For young people, being bullied or treated badly by friends can cause considerable emotional distress. 7,8 Whether bullying comes from a peer or a friend, it's widely acknowledged that it is a public health concern and is associated with both immediate 9 and long-term negative mental health outcomes. 10 Tragically, we are reminded that bullying is associated with suicide and can be fatal. ...
This report shares ReachOut’s research findings, along with evidence from academic literature, to support the following recommendations:
Shift the focus from set definitions of bullying to specific behaviours to ensure we reveal the full scale and complexity of the issue.
Review current approaches to bullying to take account of the social context in which the bullying takes place.
Recognise that friendship issues can have a serious impact on young people’s mental health and wellbeing, requiring a public health approach.
Support all young people to build skills and confidence to navigate friendship issues to ensure they are able to benefit from the protective factors that positive, healthy friendships provide.
Develop new resources to equip parents, carers and educators with the knowledge and tools to help young people navigate friendship issues.
... The second one refers to 'conflict'. There is some evidence that many children's perceptions of the concept of 'friendship' include both dimensions, for example, 'intimacy' and 'conflict' (Daniels, Quigley, Menard, & Spence, 2010). In a number of studies, it has been claimed that friendship and peer relationships are important in resolving conflicts and disputes (Corsaro, 1994;Evaldsson, 2003;Kyratzis & Guo, 2001;Martinez-Lozano, Sánchez-Medina, & Goudena, 2011;Poveda & Marcos, 2005). ...
The research examines the concepts of 'friendship' and 'best friend' among preschool children (n=52) who live in different countries (Sweden and Turkey), with the aim of presenting their ideas about the concepts of 'friendship' and 'best friend'. For this purpose, 52 children, 4-5 year olds (25 from Turkey and 27 from Sweden) participated in semi-structured interviews, the content of which was later analysed. A content analysis method included the identification of codes that could be used for comparison across the two populations through statistical analysis. The main results of our study show that, despite the fact that preschools are organized differently in Sweden and Turkey, children from both populations used prosocial behaviour and their perceptions about what a best friend is more similar between children in these different cultures than they are different.
... Others examine cyberbullying (e.g., Mishna et al. 2008;Felmlee and Faris 2016), which, due to the nature of social media platforms, may be especially likely to occur between friends. Often these studies focus exclusively on friend aggression as a unique form and lack a comparison to aggression between others (e.g., Crick and Nelson 2002;Daniels et al. 2010;Closson and Watanabe 2016). To our knowledge, this is the first large-scale social network study to compare rates of aggression between friends, friends-of-friends, and others. ...
... It is also likely that victimization within friendships is a function of the joint (i.e., interactive) characteristics of the friendship dyad rather than only the victim's characteristics. Indeed, youth who are victimized by a close friend report poorer conflict resolution within the friendship and a higher desire for an exclusive relationship especially on the part of the victimizing friend (Daniels et al. 2010). As for potential extra-personal risk factors of victimization by friends, future studies might need to focus more on contextual-level variables outside the family. ...
Much research effort has been placed on understanding peer victimization. However, few studies have focused on victimization within friendships, which affects up to half of adolescents and bears similar consequences as victimization by the larger peer group. This study examined the temporal stability and the risk factors of victimization within friendships and victimization by other peers. In regard to the first objective, moderate to high levels of stability over a one-year period were expected for victimization by friends and by other peers. In regard to the second objective, two – not necessarily mutual exclusive – hypotheses were tested. The Common Risk Factors Hypothesis postulated that victimization by friends and by other peers share common personal and familial risk factors. Alternatively, the Mutual Influence Hypothesis proposed that victimization within one relationship context may increase the risk of being victimized in the other relationship context. These hypotheses were tested with a sample of 878 adolescents (Mage = 15.08 years, range 14.50–15.75; 52% female) assessed in Grades 8 and 9. Structural equation modeling revealed moderate and weak one-year stability for victimization by friends and by other peers, respectively. No common risk factors emerged, but victimization within one relationship context increased the risk of victimization in the other relationship context one year later. These results are in line with the mutual influence hypothesis and provide evidence of a cross-context transfer of victimization in adolescence.
... However, alongside these studies there is also research evidence that indicates some young people may experience victimisation in close friendships that are important to them (Daniels, Quigley, Menard, & Spence, 2010;Kawabata, Crick, & Hamaguchi, 2010). While victimisation of this type is under-researched (Brendgen, Girard, Vitaro, Dionne, & Boivin, 2015) it is an area that requires investigation. ...
This chapter aims to examine the phenomena of bullying and peers aggression using a new perspective. The concept of barkada, common in Filipino culture, was presented as a backdrop to the stories presented by students to describe their peer aggression experiences. Bullying is becoming a significant problem among Filipino students. The Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 or RA 10627 is an act that compels basic education institutions in The Philippines to implement measures and necessary policies to prevent and address acts of bullying. The unabated occurrence of bullying incidents challenges policy makers who must consider how bullying can be prevented, and interventions implemented to avoid the negative effects of bullying on student's mental health and well-being. The judicial provisions that mandate the monitoring of bullying with schools required to report and document cases of bullying leaves little opportunity for schools to create programmes and interventions to reduce peer aggression and bullying.
... Several lines of research support these processes. One set of studies indicates that both social support and social aggression tend to happen in the context of "real world" friendships (Crick & Nelson, 2002;Daniels, Quigley, Menard, & Spence, 2010;Hodges, Boivin, Vitaro, & Bukowski, 1999;Mishna, Wiener, & Pepler, 2008). A second line of research indicates that in-person SS and PV affect people's psychological well-being, especially outcomes related to internalizing problems such as self-esteem, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms (Chu, Saucier, & Hafner, 2010;Hawker & Boulton, 2000;Reijntjes, Kamphuis, Prinzie, & Telch, 2010;Vitaro, Boivin, & Bukowski, 2009). ...
Data and theory have generated mixed results about the positive versus negative psychological effects of massively multiplayer role-playing games (MMORPGs). Such games provide opportunities to interact with others in ways that (like in-person groups) can foster cooperation and social support from others; however, they can facilitate social aggression and peer victimization as well. The current study involved multi-group path analysis of survey data obtained from 337 frequent MMORPG users. The paper proposes and supports a Compensatory Social Interaction model in which MMORPG play was simultaneously associated with healthy outcomes as a function of higher online social support and adverse outcomes as a function of online peer victimization. These countervailing processes offset one another, ostensibly suggesting that MMORPG use was unassociated with these outcomes; however, follow-up analyses revealed that the kind of outcome depended on individuals’ levels of online social support versus victimization. Results are interpreted in light of the Compensatory Social Interaction model and possible clinical applications.
... Brendgen et al. 2015;Waasdorp, Bagdi, and Bradshaw 2009;Wei and Jonson-Reid 2011). While the effects of friendship victimization may be similar to bullying from non-friends, it seems that many children continue in these relationships despite their suffering (Daniels et al. 2010;Mishna, Wiener, and Pepler 2008). Mishna et al. provide some indication of potentially distinguishing factors of victimization within friendship. ...
Research suggests that about a quarter of bullying incidences occur within friendships. Yet little attention is given to the underlying social processes and wider macro-system forces that shape friendship victimization experiences. Guided by constructivist grounded theory and Wade's work on resistance, this research explored the phenomenon of victimization within adolescent girls’ friendships. Canadian women reflecting on their school-based victimization experiences were interviewed for this study. Results suggest that participants resisted victimization in important ways but that their resistance strategies were negotiated within gender expectations and ambient discursive constructions of resistance and victimization. Our findings illuminate the ways that discourses concealing women's resistance and privileging overt responses to bullying run counter to gendered expectations for resistance, leaving women in a double bind. Consequently, we found that retaliatory relational aggression allowed girls to deny their victim status while complying with gendered expectations for resistance but led to their bullying experiences being normalized and overlooked.
... Alternatively, if children seek support from friends, discussing stressful experiences can be related to excessive rumination, which subsequently impacts on adjustment (Visconti & Troop-Gordon, 2010). Finally, friends of the victim, may not offer any protection from victimization as they may be the perpetrators of the aggression, or the friendship may be characterized as high conflict, and as such would provide no support (Daniels, Quigley, Menard, & Spence, 2010). ...
Underpinned by the transactional model of stress (TMS), this systematic review synthesizes research testing the role of primary and secondary appraisals in the relationship between peer victimization and adjustment. A comprehensive literature search was undertaken and 23 articles were included in the review. Primary appraisals of threat and control, but not blame, mediated the relationship between peer victimization and adjustment. Secondary appraisals of self-efficacy and perceived social support were found to mediate and moderate the relationship. The findings of the review highlight the utility of the TMS in developing our understanding of individual differences in the relationship between peer victimization and adjustment. The development of the TMS in a peer victimization context, and future areas of research are discussed.
... It may be that victims under these circumstances do not experience the negative internal consequences as significantly as those who are verbally or relationally harassed, which results in maladaptive psychosocial adjustment later in life (McCabe et al., 2010;Roth et al., 2002;Storch et al., 2004). There is little to no research specifically focusing on physical or property damage victimization and how it may affect later attachment quality, but some studies have found that individuals who experience physical victimization during childhood report that their friendships are more negative and less satisfying during the course of the year (Daniels, Quigley, Menard, & Spence, 2010). ...
The authors examined the potential long-term effects of peer victimization experiences during childhood on attachment quality in current adult relationships in a sample of 386 university students attending 2 northeastern universities. Findings included (a) no significant gender differences regarding verbal or relational peer victimization; (b) significant correlations between all forms of previous victimization; and (c) previous verbal and relational victimization predicting less stable adult attachments, with verbal victimization being more significant.
... The other one refers to the level of the conflict and the betrayal in this relationship. There is some evidence that many children's perceptions of the meaning of friendship include components from both of these dimensions, for example, proximity and skirmishes (Daniels, Quigley, Menard, & Spence, 2010). Hartup (1992b) described the functions that friendships provide children as follows: ...
This paper reviews previous literature about peer acceptance and friendship, two of the most critical aspects of peer relations that have received most of research attention during the past years. In this review, we will focus on the processes explaining the way children use the ability to socialise with peers; explore the hypothesis that certain aspects may interact with peer acceptance and friendship, that is, behavioural, psychological, and physical; and finally, indicate on which terms peer acceptance and friendship are interconnected. Those data may constitute a concrete base upon which peer acceptance and friendship need to be investigated separately when measuring peer competence. Pedagogical implications will also be highlighted as a guidance for parents, teachers, and others who work with young children to design effective prosocial activities.
... When boys are physically victimised, and girls relationally victimised, there is a higher association with maladjustment problems including social anxiety, loneliness and psychological distress (Crick and Nelson 2002). However, whilst girls in relationally victimising relationships report negative friendship qualities, they also report that these friendships have positive features (Daniels, Quigley, Menard and Spence 2010). Conversely, both boys and girls who experience physical victimisation in relationships, or physical and relational victimisation, report high levels of negative qualities in these friendships. ...
Given the detrimental short- and long-term effects of peer-victimisation (Hawker & Boulton, 2000), it is not surprising that bullying has become a central topic for multiple parties; including stake-holders, the media, educators, and researchers. In addition to examining the effect that peer-victimisation can have on a child, researchers have also focused on associated risk and protective factors (e.g., Ttofi & Farrington, 2012) that exacerbate or ameliorate the effects of peer-victimisation respectively. Over the last few decades a wide-range of risk and protective factors have been identified, including poor academic achievement (Spriggs, Iannotti, Nansel, & Haynie, 2007), mental health issues (Sourander, Helstelä, Helenius, & Piha, 2000; Yang, Kim, Kim, Shin, & Yoon, 2006), exposure to child abuse and domestic violence (Bowes et al., 2009) and lack of parental involvement (Shields & Cicchetti, 2001). The following chapter will focus on one protective factor that has received increasing attention: friendship.
This chapter will begin by briefly presenting an overview as to the function of friendship in childhood before discussing evidence that suggests for some children, friendship can serve to protect against the experience of victimisation, and alleviate symptoms associated with peer-victimisation. In particular, the chapter will focus upon the different facets of friendship including: (1) the number of friends a child has, (2) the quality of these friendships, and (3) the individual characteristics of friends. The extent to which each of these three facets of friendship serve as a protective factor against peer-victimisation will be explored in turn. Paradoxically, friendship does not always function as a protective factor, but rather a child can be bullied by their friends. The ‘darker’ side of friendship will also be discussed, including why some children choose to stay friends with their perpetrator. Finally, this chapter will debate the effectiveness of peer support programs in schools and highlight areas that require further empirical focus.
... In addition, situations may occur in which friends are not able to escape the negative implications of such diverting views. Daniels et al. (2010) describe how power imbalances (e.g. in terms of social skills or status) in adolescents' friendships can lead to exploitation or victimisation and how claims of exclusivity by one party may put pressure on the other party. And whilst focusing on sibling relations rather than friendships, Voorpostel (2007) notes that solidarity in social ties may become too much, leading to loss of independence. ...
Purpose
The study examined whether parental care and family support moderate the association between school bullying victimization and cyberbullying victimization among college students by applying the social anthropological approach and social control theory
Method
Data were collected for 261 college students (57.9% female) aged between 18 to 24 or older from a university in the Midwest region of the United States. A latent moderated structural equations approach was utilized
Results
The data revealed that bullying victimization was positively associated with cyberbullying victimization. Moreover, parental care was a significant moderator between bullying victimization and cyberbullying victimization
Discussion
These findings have implications of preventing victims of bullying becoming victims of cyberbullying. Parental involvement especially needs to be emphasized for college students’ cyberbullying prevention and intervention programs.
Relationship with friends, interactions with friends, disagreements with friends and the experiences gained through friends are extremely important for socializing in the preschool period. The aim of this study is to determine the pre-school children's understanding of the concept of friendship and to examine their meaning in the context of socialization. The research was planned in qualitative research design. Also the aim of this study is to determine the opinions of friends and best friends, the difference between friends and best friends, their ability to identify their best friends and disagreed friends, the games they play with their best friends and the methods of solving the problems with their best friends. The study group of 26 six-year-old children in a private school in Ankara was included in the study through convenience sampling. The semi-structured interview form which was prepared by the researchers, received opinions from three experts and piloted, was used as data collection tool.One-to-one interviews were conducted with the children and the datas were analyzed by content analysis method. As a result of the research, it is seen that children express friendship and best friendship with common codes such as “play”, “love” and “goodness” and the majority of their children state the difference between best friend and friend with a focus on emotion and sharing. It has been found that the majority of children have conflicts with one of their classmates. In addition, it was determined that children could have conflict with their best friends and could solve this problem on their own.
Studies have showed that being bullied by peers in adolescence is strongly and consistently associated with decreased sense of well-being that may be expressed in emotional, physical and behavioural effects. Yet, there are personal variables that might mediate the relationships between bullying victimization and low levels of well-being. In this study, we have examined the possible moderating effect of resilience and self-concept that were found to be connected to bullying and to well-being among Israeli adolescents. 507 middle school Israeli students, aged 11–16, fulfilled Bullying victimization, well-being, self-concept and resilience questionnaires. A mediation model analysis have revealed that the hypothesized mediation model was accepted in full and both high self-concept and resilience mediates this relationship. Specific directions and recommendation are discussed for further insights into intervention and prevention programmes for adolescents, in order to optimize existing programmes as well as to create an infrastructure for new intervention programs.
The utilization of traditional social survey data to address today’s bullying problems presents some limitations. In response, a new method to investigate and subsequently intervene is warranted. Therefore, this study analyzed big data generated by social media to identify Future Signals of bullying. This approach may contribute to effectively clarifying the problem and suggesting targeted interventions to address the bullying phenomenon in South Korea. For social big data analysis, 350,314 web documents were collected per hour each day from January 1, 2013 to June 30, 2017, from 279 subject channels based on an ontology of bullying-related topics. Term frequency, document frequency, degree of visibility, and degree of diffusion were computed to identify Future Signals. A substantial overlap of findings between studies based on social big data and traditional survey results was observed for family (e.g., parental divorce, domestic violence, child abuse), peer (e.g., transfer, friend violence), economic (e.g., economic problem), and school/academic (e.g., academic record, school control, academic stress) strain domains, whereas strains concerning the media (e. g., movie, celebrity) and cultural (e.g., materialism, hell Korea) domains seemed to be more salient in social big data. Weak Signal topics in social big data representing media and cultural strain domains (e.g., Youtube, class society, bullying culture) related to the bullying phenomenon appear to be emerging in significance. These topics and their respective strain domains represent potentially important new areas that warrant further investigation by practitioners and policymakers. These findings may allow the early detection of crucial information by providing data to support better informed insight and intervention related to the complex problem of bullying in South Korea.
Friendship matters for young children’s development, learning and experience of wellbeing. This paper emphasises the significance of young children’s friendships for their wellbeing, especially in the context of early years settings. Findings are presented from two online questionnaires developed for the project, in which 155 parents/carers and 285 practitioners in England expressed their perceptions of what matters for young children’s wellbeing. Data shows some ambivalence in the views of both parents/carers and practitioners about the importance of friendship in this context. Both groups gave low prioritisation to ‘the company of friends’ for children’s wellbeing. As friendships are of central importance to young children themselves, this could suggests that adults and children may have different priorities, which raises questions about the extent to which young children’s friendships are seen as important by adults. The paper concludes by proposing the need for practitioners in particular, but also parents, to consider their roles and priorities for children’s lives within schools and nurseries, including how they might sensitively support and facilitate children’s friendships in play, activities, transition and everyday life.
Students with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) are more likely to struggle than their peers, which can lead to disengagement and early dropout. Although there are alternate programmes for these students, they are rarely consulted about their struggles, or about their perceived needs. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of students with EBD from their entry in mainstream classrooms to their placement in an alternate programme. During a semi-structured interview and visual mapping activity, six participants described their schooling experiences and their depictions were analysed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Participants described the social process of school and emphasised the importance of relationships with peers and teachers, and the challenges they experienced in these relationships, which included relational, psychological, and physical aggression. Findings highlight the need to consider the reciprocal nature of bullying for students with EBD, and its influence on their schooling.
In this article, I reflect on the potentials of using online qualitative data collection methods to elicit narratives from adolescent participants who have experienced victimization within their friendships. Specifically, this article examines the impact of anonymity on participants’ self-disclosure, while also considering the potential limitations of online qualitative research, namely, building rapport amongst participants and the researcher, participant authenticity, and participant safety. It is the hope that other novice researchers will benefit from these methodological and ethical reflections of using online qualitative data collection methods for research on sensitive topics. Keywords: Online Research, Qualitative Research, Sensitive Topics, Anonymity, Participant Self-Disclosure.
Using a genetically informed twin design, this study examined (a) whether, in line with gene-environment correlation (rGE), a genetic disposition for anxiety puts children at risk of being victimized by a close friend or by other peers, and (b) whether, in line with gene-environment interaction (GxE), victimization by a close friend or by other peers moderates the expression of a genetic disposition for anxiety. Participants were 268 monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs (MZ males = 71, MZ females = 80, DZ males = 56, DZ females = 61; 87% of European descent) assessed via questionnaires in Grade 8 (M age = 14.06 years, SD = 3.60). Participants reported about their victimization by a close friend and by other peers and their anxiety level. Victimization by a close friend and victimization by other peers were uncorrelated. In line with rGE, genetic factors related to anxiety predicted victimization by other peers, whereas victimization by a close friend was not predicted by heritable characteristics. Moreover, in line with a suppression process of GxE, victimization by other peers reduced the role of genetic factors in explaining interindividual differences in anxiety. In contrast, in line with a diathesis-stress process of GxE, victimization by a close friend fostered the expression of a genetic disposition for anxiety. Victimization by a close friend seems to happen to adolescents regardless of their personal, heritable characteristics. If it does occur, however, it is a source of distress mostly for youth with a genetic vulnerability for anxiety.
The goal of this study was to examine how different types of social experiences in kindergarten relate to Grade 1 academic achievement, while controlling for possible genetic and shared environmental influences through the use of the monozygotic (MZ) twin difference method. Social experiences in kindergarten included relationship quality with the larger peer group (i.e., rejection and victimization), relationship quality with one's best friend, and relationship quality with the teacher. Control variables included parental hostility–coercion, child cognitive skills and externalizing problems, and equivalent social experiences in Grade 1. Participants consisted of 223 MZ twin pairs ages 6 years at Time 1 (T1) and 7 years at Time 2 (T2). Results showed that within-pair differences in peer rejection and in poor teacher–child relationship quality at T1 uniquely predicted differences in MZ twins' academic achievement at T2. Mechanisms that could account for the possible causal role of these social experiences in regard to children's school achievement are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The distinction between friendship adjustment and acceptance by the peer group was examined. Third- through 5th-grade children (
N = 881) completed sociometric measures of acceptance and friendship, a measure of loneliness, a questionnaire on the features of their very best friendships, and a measure of their friendship satisfaction. Results indicated that many low-accepted children had best friends and were satisfied with these friendships. However, these children's friendships were lower than those of other children on most dimensions of quality. Having a friend, friendship quality, and group acceptance made separate contributions to the prediction of loneliness. Results indicate the utility of the new friendship quality measure and the value of distinguishing children's friendship adjustment from their general peer acceptance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Little prior research has examined children's interpersonal perceptions of peers from a social relations model framework. This study examines the degree of actor and partner variances, as well as generalised and dyadic reciprocities, in a sample of 351 sixth graders' peer nominations of different forms and functions of aggression and aspects of social status. Gender differences in these nominations are also explored. Results indicate significant actor and partner variances for all measures, and generalised reciprocity in social status perceptions. Clear gender differences were noted in rates of nominations, such that more same-sex than cross-sex nominations were generally given for both positive and negative aspects; however, we found mixed evidence of gender differences in the variance partitioning and reciprocity correlation estimates.
This study evaluated the hypothesis that the behavior problems that place children at risk for victimization by peers are associated with victimization primarily when children are also at social risk for victimization. Social risk was defined as lacking supportive friends or as being rejected by the peer group. Participants were 229 boys and girls in the 3rd through 7th grades (M age = 11 years 2 months). As predicted, behavior problems (internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and physical weakness) were more strongly related to victimization when children had few friends, had friends who were incapable of fulfilling a protective function (e.g., were physically weak), or were rejected by peers than when children had more friends, had friends capable of defending them, or were better liked by peers. Results illustrate the principle that individual risk variables depend on social context for expression.
This study examined 2 aspects of friendship (presence and perceived qualities of a best friend) as moderators of behavioral antecedents and outcomes of peer victimization. A total of 393 children (188 boys and 205 girls) in the 4th and 5th grades (mean age = 10 years 7 months) participated during each of 2 waves of data collection in this 1-year longitudinal study. Results indicated that teacher-reported internalizing and externalizing behaviors predicted increases in peer-reported victimization, but the relation of internalizing behaviors to increases in victimization was attenuated for children with a protective friendship. Victimization predicted increases in internalizing and externalizing behaviors but only for children without a mutual best friendship. Results highlight the importance of peer friendships in preventing an escalating cycle of peer abuse.
Cross-sectional quantitative designs are often used to investigate whether peer victimization is positively related to psychosocial maladjustment. This paper presents a meta-analytic review of cross-sectional studies, published between 1978 and 1997, of the association of peer victimization with psychosocial maladjustment. Mean effect sizes were calculated for the association between peer victimization and each form of maladjustment (depression, loneliness, generalized and social anxiety, and global and social self-worth) assessed. The results suggested that victimization is most strongly related to depression, and least strongly related to anxiety. There was no evidence that victimization is more strongly related to social than to psychological forms of maladjustment. Effect sizes were stronger when the same informants were used to assess both victimization and maladjustment than when different informants were used. There were some design limitations to the studies reviewed, but all together their results provide a strong background for more complex research into the course and treatment of victims' distress.
In this study, 196 young adolescents who reported that they bullied their peers were identified out of a sample of 1,758 students in Grades 5 through 8. After selecting from the total sample a group of nonbullying youth who were matched on gender, school, and grade, a comparison was made of the groups' dating experiences, quality of friend and boyfriend or girlfriend relationships, and acts of physical and social aggression. The results indicated that bullies started dating earlier and engaged in more advanced dyadic dating than comparison adolescents. Bullies were highly relationship oriented, yet their views of their friends and boyfriends or girlfriends were less positive and less equitable than the comparison adolescents. Finally, bullies were more likely to report physical and social aggression with their boyfriends or girlfriends. Although the bullies reported more advanced pubertal development, this factor did not fully account for their dating precocity and negative romantic relationships. The results confirmed our hypotheses that adolescents whose peer relationships are characterized by bullying are at risk in their development of healthy romantic relationships.
In past research, relational and physical forms of peer victimization have been identified that have been shown to be significantly associated with social-psychological maladjustment. These forms of victimization, although studied primarily within the group peer context, also occur within dyadic relationships such as friendships. Gender differences in friend victimization and the association between friend victimization and children's social-psychological adjustment were examined. Results showed that boys were more physically victimized by their friends than were girls. Girls were more relationally than physically victimized by their friends. Friend victimization was related to adjustment difficulties for both boys and girls; however, friend physical victimization was particularly related to boys whereas friend relational victimization was particularly related to girls. The implications of these findings for future research and intervention with victimized children are discussed.
For the most part, studies of the consequences of bullying in schools have concentrated upon health outcomes for children persistently bullied by their peers. Conclusions have been influenced by how bullying has been conceptualized and assessed, the specific health outcomes investigated, and the research method and data analysis employed. Results from cross-sectional surveys suggest that being victimized by peers is significantly related to comparatively low levels of psychological well-being and social adjustment and to high levels of psychological distress and adverse physical health symptoms. Retrospective reports and studies suggest that peer victimization may contribute to later difficulties with health and well-being. Longitudinal studies provide stronger support for the view that peer victimization is a significant causal factor in schoolchildren's lowered health and well-being and that the effects can be long-lasting. Further evidence from longitudinal studies indicates that the tendency to bully others at school significantly predicts subsequent antisocial and violent behaviour.
Bullying is a relationship problem in which power and aggression are used to cause distress to a vulnerable person. To assess and address bullying and victimization, we need to understand the nature of the problem, how the problem changes with age and differs for boys and girls, the relevant risk factors (those individual or environmental indicators that may lead to bullying and victimization), and the protective factors that buffer the impact of risk. For children involved in bullying, we need to assess its extent and the associated social, emotional, psychological, educational, and physical problems. Bullying is a systemic problem; therefore, assessments of bullying need to extend beyond the individual child to encompass the family, peer group, school, and community. We recommend that assessments at each of these levels reflect the scientific research on bullying and victimization. With attention to the problems associated with bullying, we can work collectively to make schools and communities safer for children and youth.
Associations between age, gender, and group acceptance and friendship interactions, communication, and perceptions were investigated among middle-childhood (8 through 10 years of age) and early-adolescent (11 through 13 years of age) elementary school students One hundred four same-gender, reciprocal friendship dyads varying in group acceptance (high low, or dissimilar) were videotaped while engaging in art and planning activities. Early-adolescent friendships were coordinated and self-disclosing more than were middle-childhood friendships. Girl/girl dyads made fewer suggestions requests and had fewer disagreements than did boy/boy dyads. High-accepted dyads were positive, coordinated, and sensitive more in their interactions, and they disagreed less than did low-accepted dyads. Students' reports of friendship support and satisfaction varied with age and gender; reports of friendship conflict varied with age and group acceptance. The research highlights the importance of direct observation of friendship interactions and the relations between friendship quality and age, gender, and group acceptance.
This study was conducted to assess whether friendship quality and gender moderate the association between peer victimization and internalizing distress. Third-,fourth-, and fifth-grade children (N = 670; 315 girls, 355 boys) completed self-report measures of friendship quality, relational and overt physical victimization, anxiety, and depression. Results indicated that several aspects of positive friendship quality, including help and security, serve as effective buffers against both relational and overt victimization. These results were found for girls only and for both anxiety and depression. Results highlight the importance of positive friendship features as protective factors in the link between victimization and internalizing distress.
In this study, we analyzed the relationships among overt and relational victimization and adolescents’ satisfaction with friends.
We also tested the influence of the need for affective relationships with friends. A total of 409 Italian adolescent boys
and girls (age range=14–16, M=15.02years, SD=2.58) completed a self-report measure of overt and relational victimization, a measure of satisfaction
with friends, and a scale to assess the individual need for affective relationships. A negative association between both forms
of victimization and levels of satisfaction with friends was found. As hypothesized, the need for affective relationships
with friends moderated the relation between relational, but not overt, victimization and satisfaction with friends: Adolescents
who reported more need for affective relationships reported the lowest levels of satisfaction when relationally victimized.
A questionnaire evaluating the friendship network, the expectations towards friends, the level of intimacy and attachment with friends, as well as the presence of conflicts with friends, was administered to 349 adolescents. The sample consisted of both males and females, age ranging from 12 to 18 years. Subjects were also given various personal adjustment indices that were obtained from the Offer Self Image Questionnaire. The results demonstrate that there are small differences in the friendship network across age and gender. Analysis of the qualitative aspects of friendship are generally constant with respect to age, but demonstrate marked differences with respect to gender: girls expect more from their friends than boys and their level of attachment and intimacy with friends is greater. The results also indicate that the number of friends in the network is not significantly correlated with the personal adjustment variables. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the quality of attachment maintained with friends and the absence of conflict experiences in friendship account for a low but significant proportion of the score variance obtained from the personal adjustment scale. The possibility to confer personal problems and the preoccupations to friends seems beneficial for the acquisition of adaptive behavior. Deficiences in communication with friends or confrontation experiences and feelings of alienation are related to some forms of maladaptive behavior.
To examine the fundamental hypothesis that childhood victimization leads to increased vulnerability for subsequent (re)victimization in adolescence and adulthood and, if so, whether there are differences in rates of experiencing traumas and victimizations by gender, race/ethnicity, and type of childhood abuse and/or neglect.
Using a prospective cohort design, participants are individuals with documented cases of childhood physical and sexual abuse and neglect from the years 1967 through 1971 and a matched control group. Both groups were interviewed in-person (mean age 39.5 years) in 2000-2002 using a new instrument to assess lifetime trauma and victimization history.
Abused and neglected individuals reported a higher number of traumas and victimization experiences than controls and all types of childhood victimization (physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect) were associated with increased risk for lifetime revictimization. Significant group (abuse/neglect vs. control) by gender and group by race/ethnicity interactions were found. Childhood victimization increased risk for physical and sexual assault/abuse, kidnapping/stalking, and having a family friend murdered or commit suicide, but not for general traumas, witnessing trauma, or crime victimization.
These findings provide strong support for the need for early intervention with abused and neglected children and their families to prevent subsequent exposure to traumas and victimization experiences.
The purpose of this investigation was to compare conflicts occurring between young children and their friends to those occurring between nonfriends. 53 children with a median age of 4 years, 3 months were observed and interviewed to determine who were mutual friends, unilateral associates, or neutral associates. 146 conflicts were also observed. Conflicts between mutual friends, as compared to those occurring between neutral associates: (a) did not occur less frequently, differ in length, or differ in the situations that instigated them, but (b) were less intense, were resolved more frequently with disengagement, and more frequently resulted in equal or partially equal outcomes. Continued socialization was also more likely following conflicts between friends. Conflicts between unilateral associates resembled those between nonfriends, although postconflict interaction resembled that between mutual friends. Conflict resolution strategies favored by friends maximize the likelihood that their interaction and their relationships will continue.
This study (n = 315 9-12-year-olds) was conducted to assess whether the social problems that relationally and overtly aggressive children typically experience in the peer group context are also exhibited in the dyadic, friendship context. The qualities of children's friendships (e.g., levels of intimacy) and of the importance of those qualities (e.g., the importance of intimacy) were assessed with self-report instruments adapted from past research. Results indicated that the friendships of relationally aggressive children were characterized by relatively high levels of intimacy, exclusivity/jealousy, and relational aggression within the friendship context. In contrast, the friendships of overtly aggressive children were characterized by engaging together in aggressive acts toward those outside the friendship. In addition, overtly aggressive children placed relatively high importance on these coalitional acts and on companionship with their friends. Implications for our understanding of aggressive children and for our knowledge of children's friendships are discussed.
This short-term longitudinal study examined the associations between peer reports of victimization and self-reported friendship among early adolescents. It was carried out to test the view that friendship provides protection against victimization (called the "friendship protection hypothesis"). Data were collected at two points within a school year, separated by 6 months. At Time 1, 170 pupils provided data, and 158 of these did so again at Time 2. Three sets of findings were consistent with the friendship protection hypothesis. First, at Time 1 those early adolescents who had a reciprocated best friend in their home class received significantly fewer peer nominations for victimization than did classmates without a reciprocated best friend. Second, those early adolescents that did not have best friend at either Time 1 or Time 2 showed the highest increase in victimization over the course of the study, whereas those that did have a best friend at both Times 1 and 2 showed the highest falls in victimization. Third, a hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that a decrease in conflict and betrayal reported to characterize the participants' best friendship was associated with falls in victimization. The implications of these results for anti-bullying initiatives based on "befriending" principles were discussed.