Can Bullies Be Popular? Developmental Insights

描述（由申请人提供）：儿童时期的欺凌是一个日益受到美国公众关注的问题，这是一个与侵犯者和受害者的长期适应健康相关的严重问题。最近研究中最令人不安的发现之一是，霸凌者很受欢迎。如果恃强凌弱者很受欢迎，孩子们可能更有可能内化有关侵略的积极信息，并容忍或促进同伴受害。广泛使用的反欺凌项目倾向于假设恃强凌弱者不受欢迎，会被不具攻击性的同龄人排斥。因此，目前的反欺凌项目并没有识别出受欢迎的欺凌者，也没有为这些孩子提供有效的治疗。本研究将对“大众欺凌”假说进行全面的评价。本研究旨在：(a)引入新的概念和方法来评估受欢迎程度，(b)详细说明欺凌与同龄人之间的各种关系，以及(c)绘制欺凌与受欢迎程度关系的发展趋势。样本将包括就读于8所不同种族学校的600名三年级和四年级学生。之所以选择这一年龄组，是因为在主要的欺凌调查中，青少年往往被忽略，而青少年更受重视，但欺凌的发展起源即使不是在此之前，也是在童年中期。数据将通过社会计量学调查、参与调查的儿童及其课堂社会动态的教师信息、学校人口统计和纪律记录来收集。三组研究问题推动了这项调查：(1)受欢迎程度是否比受欢迎程度更重要？过去的研究可能低估了恃强凌弱者的受欢迎程度，因为他们过于强调受欢迎程度，而不是被认为很酷或有影响力。(2)恶霸会和不具攻击性的孩子建立关系吗？恃强凌弱者通常被描绘成离经叛道的同伴群体的成员，但受欢迎的恃强凌弱者可能会与不具攻击性的孩子结成友谊和伙伴关系。(3)发展问题至关重要。随着童年中期的发展，恃强凌弱者更受欢迎还是更不受欢迎？变得更受欢迎的孩子会欺负更多还是更少？欺负弱小的孩子受欢迎程度是增加了还是减少了？本调查的目的是了解受欢迎程度和同伴关系如何增强欺凌行为。将仔细注意男孩和女孩群体内部和之间的欺凌行为。长期目标是开始建立干预措施的过程，对那些已经很好地融入同伴社会生活的欺凌者有效。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Bullying in childhood is a growing American public concern, long-term adjustment heath related to serious problems for aggressors and victims. Among the most troubling findings from recent research is the claim that bullies are popular. If bullies are popular, children may be more likely to internalize positive messages about aggression and to tolerate or promote peer victimization. Widely-used anti-bullying programs tend to assume that bullies are unpopular and rejected by their nonaggressive peers. As a result, current antibullying programs do not identify bullies who are popular or provide these children with effective treatments. This investigation will provide a comprehensive evaluation of the "popular bully" hypothesis. The study aims to: (a) introduce new concepts and methods for assessing popularity, (b) detail the variety of relationships that bullies form with their peers, and (c) chart developmental trends in the relationship between bullying and popularity. The sample will consist of 600 third and fourth grade children attending eight ethnically diverse schools. This age group was selected because preadolescents are often passed by in favor of adolescents in major investigations of bullying, but the developmental origins of bullying lie in the middle childhood years if not before. Data will be collected through sociometric surveys, teacher information about participating children and their classroom social dynamics, and school demographic and disciplinary records. Three sets of research questions drive this investigation: (1) Is there more to popularity than likeability? Past research may have underestimated the popularity of bullies by overemphasizing likeability as opposed to being perceived as cool or influential. (2) Do bullies form relationships with nonaggressive children? Bullies are often portrayed as members of deviant peer groups, but popular bullies may form friendships and affiliate in groups with nonaggressive children. (3) Developmental questions are critical. Are bullies more or less likely to be popular as middle childhood proceeds? Do children who become more popular then bully more, or less? Do children who become bullies gain or lose popularity? The goal of this investigation is to understand how popularity and peer relationships can enhance bullying behavior. Careful attention will be paid to bullying within and between boys' and girls' groups. The long-term objective is to begin the process of building interventions that can be effective for bullies who are well-integrated into peer social life.