Task 2: Bullying

Question 1

Bullying & social dominance

Answer 1

• if bullying instrumental behavior -> strategy to gain and maintain a popular/dominant position
• social dominance motives peak at times of reorganization
• unclear if transitions are mainly environmental changes (e.g. larger schools, increased anonymity) or environmental and developmental (e.g. pubertal)

Question 2

social behavior & peer relationships - victims

Answer 2

more submissive, fewer leadership skills, more withdrawn, less cooperative, less sociable, more isolated, lack of friends

Question 3

social behavior & peer relationships - bullies

Answer 3

more aggressive, less prosocial, more leadership skills,

• preferred playmates, particularly for other aggressive boys
• often belong to larger social clusters, frequently affiliate with other bullies/bully-victims

Question 4

social behavior & peer relationships - bully- victims

Answer 4

more aggressive, less cooperative, less sociable, more frequently no playmates

Question 5

victim subtypes

Answer 5

1) submissive victim

2) provocative victim

Question 6

submissive victim

Answer 6

• internalizing problems
• anxious, insecure, sensitive, often cry
• lack of confidence in social interactions
• increased risk of being bullied

Question 7

provocative victim

Answer 7

• emotional response is rewarding for bullies
• resort to aggression
• often emotion regulation/attention problems (ADHD)

Question 8

self-view and bias of bullies

Answer 8

• often inflated self-view
• hostile attribution bias: perceive ambiguous situations as reflecting hostile peer intent
• > mainativ positive self-view by blaming and aggressing against others

Question 9

risk factors for becoming victimized

Answer 9

• anything that stands out
• obesity, off-time pubertal maturation, disabilities, LGBTQ+
• marginal social status
• lack of friends

Question 10

buffer against consequences of being bullied

Answer 10

-> emotional support from a friend

Question 11

consequences of being a victim

Answer 11

• single incidents already increase daily levels of anxiety

- anxiety disorders

Question 12

consequences of being a bully

Answer 12

• mainly antisocial personality disorder

- substance abuse, depressive and anxiety disorders

Question 13

victims: health difficulties

Answer 13

-alerted cortisol levels
-somatic complaints
-

Question 14

role of ethnic diversity in bullying

Answer 14

• greater diversity: lower sense of vulnerability among elations and blacks, less victimization
• power relations may be more balanced, which reduces bullying

Question 15

organization of instruction and bullying

Answer 15

• academic tracking: more disruptive behavior in low-ability tracks
• less demanding curriculum + more deviant peers: higher risk of antisocial behavior
• grouping students increases experience of victimization

Question 16

deviation from classroom norms - bullying

Answer 16

• positive norm: worse outcomes for victims who deviate from norm
• victim from ethnic majority group: self-blame ‘it must be me’

Question 17

schoolwide interventions

Answer 17

• more monitoring, systematic and consistent response
• focus on bystanders
• teach social skills to help resolve interpersonal conflicts
• attention to relational aggression

Question 18

schoolwide and targeted interventions

Answer 18

• more monitoring, systematic and consistent response
• focus on bystanders
• teach social skills to help resolve interpersonal conflicts
• attention to relational aggression

-targeted interventions only work with school wide interventions

Question 19

consequences for bully-victims

Answer 19

-antisocial personality disorder and anxiety disorders

Question 20

who is at elevated risk for disorders?

Answer 20

• Bullies and victims WITH psychiatric symptoms rather than all bullies or victims per se are those who are at elevated risk of later psychiatric disorders
• Approach: 1) identify bullies, victims, bully-victims, 2) conduct psychiatric screening

Question 21

Genes & victimization

Answer 21

-73% of variation in victimization due to genes
-heritable characteristics may influence vulnerability:
introverted, social cognitive deficits, emotion regulation, emotional display could mediate genetic influences

Question 22

Genes & bullies

Answer 22

• 61% accounted for variation
• verbal ability, self-regulation, biases in social cognition, low emotionality, poor emotional regulation may mediate genetic influences

Question 23

genes victims & bullies

Answer 23

• some genetic factors (modest overlap 14%) influenced both victimization and bullying
• most genetic factors are specific to each role