Christiane Spiel

Traditional Bullying and Cyberbullying

We investigated the co-occurrence of traditional bullying, cyberbullying, traditional victimization, and cybervictimization, and analyzed whether students belonging to particular groups of bullies (e.g., traditional, cyber, or both), victims (e.g., traditional, cyber, or both), and bully-victims differed regarding adjustment. Seven hundred sixty-one adolescents (49% boys) aged 14–19 years (M = 15.6 years) were surveyed. More students than expected by chance were totally uninvolved, more students were traditional bully-victims, and more students were combined bully-victims (traditional and cyber). The highest risks for poor adjustment (high scores in reactive and instrumental aggression, depressive, and somatic symptoms) were observed in students who were identified as combined bully-victims (traditional and cyber). In addition gender differences were examined.

Immigrant Children in Austria: Aggressive Behavior and Friendship Patterns in Multicultural School Classes

ABSTRACT As a consequence of worldwide waves of immigration there is a permanent increase of ethnically mixed school classes in countries all over the world. However, there is a lack of empirical studies on interethnic relationships which differentiate immigrant children based on their countries of origin. The present paper focuses on these topics and provides data of both negative and positive aspects of interethnic interactions. Direct and indirect forms of bullying, friendship patterns, and peer acceptance in 326 native and 242 immigrant children aged 11 to 14 (57% native Austrian, 22% former Yugoslavian, 14% Turkish/Kurdish, 7% rest group) in 29 ethnically mixed school classes (6th and 7th grades) were examined. Bullying was measured via the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire and via peer nomination techniques, friendship patterns via self-ratings. Peer acceptance was defined by social preference scores on positive and negative sociometric items. According to peer ratings Austrian children were found to be more often victims (9%) and bullies (12%) of direct bullying than immigrant children. Prevalence rates in immigrant children varied depending on their country of origin between 2% and 8% for victims and 3% to 7% for bullies. Results suggested that Turkish/Kurdish children are at risk concerning their social integration in class (e.g., they had the fewest number of friends in class, reported higher levels of loneliness at school, and were less accepted by their peers compared to Austrians and former Yugoslavian children). Friendship patterns differed considerably between native children and children of the three immigrant groups. Findings are discussed concerning differences in integration strategies of immigrant children depending on their country of origin.

Peer Mentoring Styles and Their Contribution to Academic Success Among Mentees: A Person-Oriented Study in Higher Education

The purpose of our study was to explore peer mentoring styles and examine their contribution to academic success among mentees. Data were collected as part of a comprehensive evaluation of a peer mentoring program. The sample consisted of 49 mentors (advanced students) who supported 376 mentees (first year students) in small groups. Indicators for peer mentoring styles were constructed using mentee assessments of mentoring functions and mentor quality, and unobtrusive data gathered in an analysis of online mentoring activities and a content analysis of the quality of the online mentoring activities. Using cluster analyses, three distinct mentoring styles were identified: Motivating master mentoring, informatory standard mentoring, and negative minimalist mentoring. Motivating master mentors were shown to have a positive influence on success in the mentoring program among those mentees who failed two preliminary exams. Implications for the training of peer mentors in higher education are discussed.

Social relationships in multicultural schools: Bullying and victimization

The study investigated victimization and bullying in Native Austrians and three groups of immigrants living in Austria. The sample comprised 280 pupils (133 girls, 147 boys) in school grades 5 – 8. Data were collected via self-assessments and peer nominations. For data analysis, in the first step, a variable centred approach using MANOVAs was applied to analyse whether there are gender and cultural group differences in levels of victimization and bullying. Native Austrian pupils were found to score higher in victimization and bullying according to self-assessments and they were also found to be more often nominated as victims by their peers than the three immigrant groups. However, the correlations between self-assessments and peer nominations were quite low for both victimization (r = .38, p < .01) and bullying (r = .20, p < .01) indicating that only a small number of pupils could be identified as “true” victims or “true” bullies on the basis of both measures. Thus, a person-centred approach using configural frequency analyses (CFAs) was applied to investigate whether first- or higher-order relationships exist between self-assessment (as bully or victim), peer-nomination (as bully or victim), gender, and cultural group. For victimization, two typical variable patterns could be identified: More Austrian boys and more Turkish boys than expected by chance were found to be “true” victims (identified by self-assessment and peer nomination). For bullying, one type could be identified. More Austrian boys than expected by chance were found to be “true” bullies. In addition, these victim/bully subgroups were compared for positive peer relations and self-esteem.

TALK - A Training Program to Encourage Lifelong Learning in School

Abstract. Lifelong learning (LLL) is a topic of high political relevance. Within the context of continuous social development toward an “information society,” individuals find themselves facing a number of challenges that they will not be able to surmount successfully if they are not willing to commit to learning over the entire course of their lifetimes. The persistent motivation to learn, as well as the correspondent learning skills, appears to be essential if one is to survive in a modern society. Schools, as a collective institution, have the task of laying the cornerstones of these skills. The present article introduces the training program TALK, which aims to provide teachers with the competencies to systematically implement the enhancement of LLL into their regular educational responsibilities. From the perspective of educational psychology, motivation, self-regulation, social skills, and cognitive abilities are developed as core aspects for LLL in a scholastic context. Building on these, the goals...

The relevance of the school class as social unit for the prevalence of bullying and victimization

Prevalence rates of bullying and victimization in schools are usually reported for the whole sample under study and not at a school-class level. The importance of classroom dynamics for the prevalence of bullying and victimization are either neglected or assumed to be constant mechanisms activated in nearly every school class. At a school-class level, similar prevalence rates of bullying and victimization are expected. The present study investigates whether this assumption is true, or whether bullying varies from class to class. For data analyses, information from four studies on bullying and victimization are used. In sum, rates of bullying and victimization were analysed in 86 different school classes (1910 pupils, grades 4 to 9). Results show a tremendous variability in the occurrence of bullying and victimization between school classes ranging between 0 and 54.5%. Thus, there exist very peaceful and very violent school classes. These differences are shown for various bullying forms (verbal vs. physical), methods of measurement (self-assessment vs. peer-nomination) and frames of reference (this week vs. this term). Implications of these findings are discussed.

Cyber-victimization and popularity in early adolescence: Stability and predictive associations

The present study examined: (1) the one-year stability of cyber-victimization; (2) the temporal sequence of cyber-victimization and traditional victimization; and (3) popularity and perceived popularity as possible antecedents and consequences of cyber-victimization and traditional victimization. The sample comprised 665 early adolescents (356 boys, 309 girls) aged 11.63 (SD = 0.84) at Time 1. Data were collected using self- and peer reports. To test for the temporal sequence a cross-lagged panel design was used. Traditional victimization, popularity and perceived popularity were moderately stable for both boys and girls. Cyber-victimization was neither stable during a one-year period, nor could it be predicted by traditional victimization, popularity or perceived popularity. Instead, cyber-victimization fostered popularity in girls. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Depressive symptoms in native and immigrant adolescents: the role of critical life events and daily hassles.

Abstract The present study compared native Austrian, first and second generation immigrant adolescents regarding their level of depressive symptoms, critical live events, and daily hassles. Furthermore, the associations between these constructs were tested in the three groups. The sample comprised 330 native Austrian (52.1% girls), 120 first generation immigrants (49.2% girls and 159 second generation immigrants (54.2% girls) aged 14–19 (M=15.61). Compared with native adolescents, first generation immigrant adolescents reported more depressive symptoms and daily hassles related to parents, the self, leisure, romantic partner, and future, whilst second generation immigrant adolescents reported more daily hassles related to parents, school, and romantic partner. Controlling for gender, multiple group structural equation models revealed that daily hassles fully mediated the path between critical live events and depressive symptoms in all three groups of adolescents. Implications for future research on immigrant adolescents’ psychological well-being are discussed.

Evidence-based practice: A challenge for European developmental psychology

In recent years the evidence-based practice movement has been seeing great gains in impact. Standards for research leading to evidence-based practice have been defined. So far, however, in the area of education standards of evidence are not extensively implemented and in most federal European policies an evidence-based reform has not been attained. The present paper advocates investing effort in evidence-based practice. In particular, the paper invites European developmental psychology and its representatives to transfer their knowledge and contribute to evidence-based practice which, in turn, will foster positive child and youth development. Incipiently, the paper discusses the new challenges facing universities and European scientific societies as contexts for scientific disciplines and their perspectives. Then, current directions in developmental psychology are described. The central section of the paper focuses on standards of evidence and the use of research for evidence-based practice and policy. It highlights the challenge facing European developmental psychology concerning active contribution to evidence-based practice. Two empirical examples are presented: (1) illustrating that kindergarten and school are the places where evidence-based practice preventions and interventions should take place; and (2) describing various steps of the transfer of basic research to evidence-based practice. Finally, the contribution that the European Society for Developmental Psychology can make to support the transfer of knowledge to evidence-based practice is outlined.

Introduction: Evidence-based parent education programmes to promote positive parenting

This paper introduces the context and contributions of this special issue. The essence of promoting positive parenting is seeking not only to reduce the impact of risk factors, but also to increase that of protective factors, by reinforcing the parenting role. The paper makes clear that this aim is served only by developing evidence-based family education programmes aimed at supporting positive parenting. The special issue offers a broad range of such programmes from several countries.