title: Subtypes, severity, and structural stability of peer victimization: what does latent class analysis say?
abstract: This study uses latent class analysis (LCA) to empirically identify victimization groups during middle school. Approximately 2,000 urban, public middle school students (mean age in sixth grade = 11.57) reported on their peer victimization during the Fall and Spring semesters of their sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Independent LCA analyses at each semester yielded 3 victim classes based on victimization degree rather than type (e.g., physical vs. relational). The most victimized class always represented the smallest proportion of the sample, decreasing from 20% in sixth grade to 6% by the end of eighth grade. This victimized class also always reported feeling less safe at school concurrently and more depressed than others 1 semester later, illustrating the validity of the LCA approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Education, University of California, Los Angeles, GSE&IS Box 951521, 2027 Moore Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1521, USA. knylund@ucla.edu
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nylund
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bellmore
authors.forename: Adrienne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nishina
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012059:Rejection, Psychology; D012449:Safety