title: A Longitudinal Multilevel Study of Individual Characteristics and Classroom Norms in Explaining Bullying Behaviors.
abstract: This three-wave longitudinal study was set out to examine the interplay between individual characteristics (social standing in the classroom) and descriptive and injunctive classroom norms (behavior and attitudes, respectively) in explaining subsequent bullying behavior, defined as initiating, assisting, or reinforcing bullying. The target sample contained fourth- to sixth-grade students (n = 2,051) who attended the control schools in the Finnish evaluation of the KiVa antibullying program. Random slope multilevel analyses revealed that, over time, higher popularity or rejection, or lower acceptance were associated with increases in bullying behaviors, especially in classrooms with a high descriptive bullying norm. In contrast, the injunctive norm did not moderate the associations between social standing and engagement in bullying, except for children high on popularity. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedagogical Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O box 1738, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, sentse@fsw.eur.nl.
authors.forename: Miranda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sentse
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Veenstra
authors.forename: Noona
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kiuru
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salmivalli
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D058445:Bullying; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D055361:Multilevel Analysis; D010379:Peer Group; D012929:Psychological Distance; D012574:Schools; D012931:Social Environment; D066262:Social Norms; D013334:Students