Children’s Positive Peer Relationships and their Bullying Behaviors: A Latent Profile Analysis

<p>In the current study, I aim to expand upon traditional methods for classifying children based on positive peer nominations and contribute to the field’s understanding of high-status bullies who maintain social resources despite bulling behaviors (e.g., van der Ploeg et al., 2020). Both reciprocated and one-sided (i.e., received and sent) positive peer nominations were used to distinguish socially meaningful subgroups. Participants included 659 children from 34 classrooms (M Age = 9.31 years, SD = .49 years; girls = 50.6%; Hispanic/Latino/a/x = 42.5%, White/European American = 29.9%, Black/African American = 2.3%, Asian/Asian American/Pacific Islander = 11.7%, Native American = 2.3%, Bi/Multiracial = 8.2%, Other or Missing = 4.6%). Results from latent profile analyses (LPA) indicated a 4-class solution best fit the data. Examination of classes and outcomes revealed a class of children with many reciprocated/received and few sent nominations who were more likely to be girls and generally better adjusted (e.g., less depressive symptoms and more prosocial) compared to other classes. A second class was characterized by few reciprocated/received and many sent nominations. Children in this class were less well-adjusted compared to other classes. Also identified was a class high on both reciprocated and sent nominations with few received nominations, and an average class with similar levels of reciprocated, received, and sent nominations. Classes did not differ as a function of self-reported bullying behavior; however, differences did emerge as a function of peer-reported bullying behavior. Results, implications, and future directions are discussed.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Year dc:date.available

2022

Author dc:creator

• Mutignani, Lauren

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Cavell, Timothy A.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Quetsch, Lauren B.
• Behrend, Douglas A.

• bullying
• one-sided nominations
• Peer nominations
• social behaviors
• Behavioral Disciplines and Activities
• Child Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/4566

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.uark.edu:etd-6116