2-200 - Bullying During Early Childhood: Multiple Methods and Informants in Three Ethnically and Culturally Diverse Populations

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

This symposium focuses on the development of bullying behaviours during early childhood. The three papers, representing two countries and three ethnically and culturally diverse populations, advance our understanding of different ecological and individual factors that may influence young children’s bullying behaviours. Each paper reports on the use of multiple methods and informants.

The first paper examined teachers’ and parents’ perceptions of young children’s bullying capability and examples of bullying behaviour in a New Zealand sample. Physical aggression was the most common example of bullying. Caregivers viewed bullying differently depending on the age of the child, leading to a reluctance to label behaviours as ‘bullying’ in younger children.

The second paper used teacher reports and systematic observations within a short-term longitudinal study in the USA to examine whether children’s response to experiences of victimisation were associated with increases in bullying over the school year. Reactionary aggression and teacher intervention were predictive of increases in bullying.

The third paper used a short-term longitudinal design to examine the effects of maternal love withdrawal and guilt induction on Chinese American children’s bullying behaviours. Children’s bullying elicited greater guilt induction but not love withdrawal.

Finally, a leading scholar in aggression research, Professor Jamie Ostrov, will provide his insights as a discussant.

Sub Unit

• Social Relationships

Chair

• Cara Swit, University of Canterbury

Discussant

• Jamie Ostrov, University of Buffalo

Individual Presentations

• Are Young Children Capable of Bullying? Early Childhood Educators’ and Parents’ Perceptions of Bullying - Presenting Author: Cara Swit, University of Canterbury

• Responses to Victimization and Bullying in Early Childhood - Presenting Author: Kimberly E. Kamper-DeMarco, Buffalo State College; Non-Presenting Author: Jamie Ostrov, University of Buffalo

• Maternal Love Withdrawal and Guilt Induction Predicting Chinese American Children’s Bullying Aggressive Behavior - Presenting Author: Jing Yu, NICHD; Non-Presenting Author: Charissa S. L. Cheah, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Non-Presenting Author: Craig H. Hart, Brigham Young University; Non-Presenting Author: Chongming Yang, Brigham Young University; Non-Presenting Author: Joseph A Olsen, Brigham Young University