2-032 - What matters to bullies? Mixed method perspectives and implications for prevention/intervention

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

This panel explores what motivates or matters to bullies, and amongst the implications is the need to change bullies’ negative attitudes about likeability and others as distrusting, which might actually help explain why bullies think favorably about aggression and show little empathy for others.
Study 1 uses vignettes to determine why adolescent bullies, many of whom are presumably motivated by achieving high popularity, are willing to give up on likeability. In comparing three hypotheses, the study finds that bullies view popularity as more important than likeability, and that they might view dislikeability as inevitable. Study 2 uses network analysis to explore the friendship network of fourth through sixth graders, and interviews with popular, aggressive youth to better understand why they don’t have good quality friendships. Findings show that such youth expect betrayal and little support, amongst other qualities which may help explain why many bullies opt to be aggressive and disliked. Study 3 revisits two well-known characteristics of bullying – pro-bullying attitudes and low affective empathy – and uses sophisticated growth models to support the salience of targeting both in bullying prevention efforts. Finally, study 4 employs an experimental design with fourth and fifth grade bullies to demonstrate whether a creative tool (i.e., digital comic) can enhance students’ understanding of bullying and empathy, and whether that matters for bullying reduction. Indeed, complex understanding of bullying is shown to matter, whereas complex understanding of empathy may not be as important as having opportunities to enact empathy (or willingness to show it).

Sub Unit

• Social Relationships

Chair

• Milena Batanova, Tufts University

Individual Presentations

• If Becoming Popular Motivates Bullying, Why does Becoming Disliked not Prevent it? - Presenting Author: Claire F. Garandeau, Utrecht University; Tessa A.M. Lansu, Radboud University Nijmegen

• Social relationships of popular aggressive adolescents: Lack of intimacy and distrust as drivers for the display of aggression - Presenting Author: Olga Elena Cuadros, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Christian Berger, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

• Longitudinal Analysis of Affective Empathy, Attitudes Supportive of Bullying, and Bully Perpetration Among Middle School Youth - Presenting Author: Dorothy L. Espelage, University of Florida Psychology Department; Gabriel J Merrin, University of Illinois; Jordan Davis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Do bullies’ definitions of bullying and empathy matter for bullying reduction? - Presenting Author: Milena Batanova, Tufts University; Lacey J. Hilliard, Tufts University; AnneMarie McClain, Tufts University