Parental Support, Latent Profiles of Bullying Victimization, and Sense of School Belonging: a Cross-National Comparison

• In Event: Bullying Victimization: New Directions

Abstract

Background: Bullying victimization, which is a prevalent social problem in many countries, is detrimental concerning various domains of adolescents’ psychological development. As bullying victimization experiences often cause adolescents to disengage in school, sense of school belonging is a psychological concept that bears significance to the study of bullying. However, past research findings on the link between bullying victimization and sense of belonging, and the buffering role of parental support in this relationship are limited despite its importance. Furthermore, there is a dearth of cross-national comparisons of this relationship. Thus, this study aimed to bridge the gaps in the literature by (a) identifying latent profiles of bullying victimization, (b) examining their associations with a sense of school belonging, and (c) investigating the protective role of parental interest. To detect whether any contextual differences exist, six regions were compared.
Methods: Self-reported data of 15-year-old students from five Asian regions (Beijing-Shanghai-Jiangsu-Guangdong (China), N=9,630; Hong Kong, N=5,060; Japan, N=5,854; South Korea, N=5,499; Taiwan, N=7,590) and U.S. (N=4,658) from the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment was used. First, latent profile analysis was conducted to identify bullying victimization profiles within each region. Second, multivariate regression analysis was used to examine (a) how membership to latent profiles is associated with a sense of school belonging and (b) the moderating role of parental support in children’s school activities in this relationship within each region. Covariates include parental education, material status, discrimination from teachers, gender, immigrant status, and grade.
Results: Victimization experiences were classified into four or five risk profiles. Of the profiles, very low, low, and medium risk profiles were commonly derived in all six regions, as represented by three ring-shaped radial graphs that progressively expanded from the center. One selective risk profile emerged in five regions, except Japan in which two selective risk profiles emerged. The members of selective risk profiles reported very high scores on the item “made fun of me.” The second selective risk profile of Japan are consisted of people who obtained the highest score on the “was hit or pushed around” item. Progressively lower levels of a sense of school belonging emerged for the very low, low, and medium profiles, respectively; the scores that emerged for the selective profile were positioned between the very low and medium profiles. Higher levels of parental support were associated with a greater sense of school belonging. The hypothesized buffering effect of parental support on the relationship between victimization profiles and a sense of school belonging was supported only by the data from Taiwanese adolescents, only.
Implications: This study examined similarities and differences in latent victimization profiles and their associations with a sense of school belonging and parental interest across six international regions. Cross-national examinations may facilitate the identification of the cultural and structural conditions that are likely to mitigate peer bullying and further, contribute to the development of culturally sensitive intervention models.

Authors

• Yoonsun Han, Seoul National University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Hae Rin Kang, Seoul National University
  Presenting Author

• Ji Won Choe, The Blue Tree Foundation
  Non-Presenting Author

• Hyein Kim, Seoul National University
  Non-Presenting Author