Alicia Pérez-Albéniz

Bryant's Empathy Index: Structure and Measurement Invariance across Gender in a Sample of Primary School-Aged Children.

The purpose of this study was to examine the dimensional structure and measurement invariance of Bryants Index of Empathy for Children and Adolescents (IECA) (Bryant, 1982) across gender in a representative sample of primary school-aged children in Spain. The sample consisted of 2,050 children (50.80% girls), with a mean age of 9.80 years (SD = 1.24), recruited from 27 primary schools. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. The model that presented the best fit indices was Lasa, Holgado, Carrasco, and del Barrios (2008) three-factor model: Understanding Feelings, Feelings of Sadness, and Tearful Reaction. The levels of internal consistency for the subscales ranged from .76 to .83. In addition, the results partially support the measurement invariance of the IECA across gender. When the latent means of the empathy dimensions were compared across gender, statistically significant differences were found. These results coincide with those found in the literature showing the multidimensionality of the IECA. Specifically, the findings support its three-factor structure and its invariance across gender, making it a very useful instrument for exploring the expression of empathy in primary school children.

What Makes a Defender? A Multilevel Study of Individual Correlates and Classroom Norms in Explaining Defending Behaviors

Abstract This study examines the interplay between individual characteristics (social status, provictim attitudes, and family messages about conflict resolution) and classroom descriptive and injunctive norms (peer victimization behaviors and bullying-related beliefs, respectively) in explaining defending behavior. For this purpose, we used a representative sample of 2,050 Spanish primary school children (50.80% girls) from grades 3–6 (M = 9.80 years; SD = 1.24), nested within 103 classrooms in 27 schools. Multilevel modeling analyses showed that both individual and class characteristics helped to explain defending behavior. In addition, random slopes revealed that children with a high social status were more likely to support victims in classrooms where bullying was less accepted. These results expand previous findings in this field, demonstrating the need for a multilevel and interactive approach to the study of defending behavior.

Bullying, defending, and outsider behaviors: The moderating role of social status and gender in their relationship with empathy

The aim of the present study was to examine whether the effect of empathy on the role children play in bullying situations, as either bullies, defenders or outsiders, was moderated by childrens social status within their classroom, and whether this moderation was gender dependent. For this purpose, we used a representative sample of 2,050 Spanish primary school children (50.80% girls) from grades 3-6 (Mage = 9.80 years; SD = 1.24), recruited from 27 primary schools. Results showed that the effect of empathy on bullying behavior was moderated by the sociometric rating only in girls. Both empathy and social rating had an effect on defending behavior. However, neither the childrens sociometric rating nor their gender moderated the relationship between empathy and defending and outsider behaviors. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for interventions designed to prevent bullying in school settings.

The potential role of subjective wellbeing and gender in the relationship between bullying or cyberbullying and suicidal ideation

Bullying and cyberbullying are common problems all over the world. One of their consequences can be suicidal ideation. A better understanding of the mechanisms that link them to suicidal ideation is needed in order to develop effective prevention and intervention initiatives. Subjective wellbeing is a potential mechanism that has not been studied within this framework. The present study examined whether subjective wellbeing could serve as a mediator or moderator of the relationship between bullying or cyberbullying and suicidal ideation, and whether these relationships were moderated by gender. Participants were 1664 students aged 14-19 (M = 16.12; SD = 1.36), 53% female, from 34 secondary schools in Spain. Self-reported questionnaires were used to assess bullying, cyberbullying via the Internet, cyberbullying via the mobile phone, suicidal ideation, and subjective wellbeing. Results showed that the effects of all types of bullying on suicidal ideation were mediated by subjective wellbeing, and that these mediations were gender dependent for bullying and cyberbullying-mobile phone. However, neither subjective wellbeing nor gender moderated the relationship between bullying or cyberbullying and suicidal ideation. Findings support the development of prevention strategies to reduce bullying, cyberbullying and suicidal ideation in adolescents by taking subjective wellbeing and gender into account.

Validation of the Prodromal Questionnaire-Brief in a representative sample of adolescents: Internal structure, norms, reliability, and links with psychopathology

The main purpose of the present study was twofold: to validate the Prodromal Questionnaire–Brief (PQ‐B) in a community‐derived sample of adolescents and to examine the links between psychotic‐like experiences and emotional and behavioral problems, prosocial behavior, suicidal ideation, and bipolar‐like experiences.