Bullying, Victimization, and Prosocial Behavior: A Cross-Lagged Panel Study Among Chinese Early Adolescents

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable Session 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Individual, Familial, and School Contributors and Hinderers to Adolescent Mental Health (Table 2)

Abstract

The present study sought to explore the developmental stability and interrelations of bullying, victimization, and prosocial behavior by employing a three-year cross-lagged panel design among 320 Chinese middle school students. Guided by the developmental cascades model, the findings demonstrated a bidirectional positive relationship between bullying and victimization, which significantly led to a subsequent decrease in prosocial behavior, proving the cumulative detrimental effects of bullying involvement. Significant gender differences in these associations were also observed. The prosocial behavior at T1 and T2 could significantly reduce bullying and victimization at the subsequent year. This research offered valuable understanding of the interplay between these positive and negative behaviors and emphasized the significance of fostering prosocial behavior at early adolescence.

Authors

• Tong Lin, Beijing Normal University

• Meiyan LAI

• Yuting LIU

• Beilei LI, Beijing Normal University