Dagmar Strohmeier

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.

Intrapersonal and interpersonal risk factors for peer victimization in immigrant youth in Finland.

This study (a) compared native Finns and immigrant children with respect to different forms of peer victimization and (b) tested whether intrapersonal (e.g., depression) and interpersonal (e.g., peer rejection) sample was drawn from the first phase of a large intervention evaluation project, KiVa, in Finland, composed of 4,957 native Finns (51% girls), 146 first-generation immigrants (48% girls), and 310 second-generation immigrants (53% girls) 9 to 12 years of age. The concurrent data included self- and peer reports collected via Internet-based questionnaires. Compared with native youth, first- and second-generation immigrants were more often targets of both peer- and self-reported victimization. Both immigrant groups experienced higher levels of physical, racist, and sexual victimization than natives. Furthermore, second-generation immigrants reported higher levels of property damage, threats, and cybervictimization than native Finns. Significant indirect effects were found between immigrant status and victimization. Interpersonal but not intrapersonal risk factors helped to explain these associations.

Bullying and Victimization among Native and Immigrant Adolescents in Norway: The Role of Proactive and Reactive Aggressiveness.

This study compares levels of bullying others, victimization, and aggressiveness in native Norwegian and immigrant adolescents living in Norway and shows how bullying is related to proactive and reactive aggressiveness. The sample consists of 2,938 native Norwegians (1,521 girls, 1,417 boys) and 189 immigrant adolescents (97 girls, 92 boys) in school grades 8, 9, and 10. Data were collected via self-assessments. Structural equation models were conducted separately for girls and boys in both groups. The levels of victimization, reactive and proactive aggressiveness were the same for both native Norwegians and immigrant adolescents but there was a significant difference in the levels of bullying others. Compared with the native Norwegians, immigrant adolescents were found to be at higher risk of bullying others. Structural models revealed significantly stronger relations between affiliation-related proactive aggressiveness and bullying others in immigrant boys compared with the other groups. This indicates that the wish for affiliation is an important mechanism of bullying others in immigrant boys. We also suggest further research and the practical importance of the findings for prevention of targeting immigrant adolescents.

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.

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.

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.

Evaluation of Aggression-Reducing Effects of the "Viennese Social Competence Training"

The “Viennese Social Competence Training” (ViSC), a primary violence prevention program for school classes, is summatively and formatively evaluated. The summative evaluation focused on the effectiveness of ViSC concerning the reduction of aggressive behavior; the formative evaluation focused on program implementation and accomplishment of training principles. Four school classes (N = 109) participated in the program, three school-classes (N = 75) served as controls. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected before, during, shortly after and 4 months after the training. Qualitative data indicate high quality of program implementation and accomplishment of training principles. Quantitative data show a decrease in aggressive behavior responses among trained classes. Findings are discussed with regard to their usefulness for future evaluation studies.

Evidence-based practice and policy: When researchers, policy makers, and practitioners learn how to work together

The present paper focuses on evidence-based practice and policy with a specific focus on the cooperation between researchers, policy makers, and practitioners. The evidence-based practice movement has gained greatly in impact in recent years and standards for research leading to evidence-based practice have been defined. However, the slow and incomplete uptake of research findings especially in the field of education obviously has shown that the development, implementation, and dissemination of sustainable strategies requires intensive cooperation between researchers, politicians, administrators, and the media. This paper presents and discusses (1) standards of evidence; (2) the use and implementation of scientific evidence in policy and practice; (3) the development of the National Strategy for Violence Prevention in the Austrian Public School System as a successful example for establishing a sustainable cooperation between research, policy, and practice; and (4) lessons learned for the promotion of evidence-based policy and practice.