ERIC Number: EJ785202
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Nov
Pages: 11
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0047-2891
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Available Date: N/A
Perceived Social Support among Bullies, Victims, and Bully-Victims
Holt, Melissa K.; Espelage, Dorothy L.
Journal of Youth and Adolescence, v36 n8 p984-994 Nov 2007
Research indicates that social support plays a protective role among adolescents, but little research has explicitly evaluated its function among youth involved in bullying. Accordingly, this study examined relations among social support, bully/victim status, and psychological distress in a sample of 784 ethnically diverse youth. We assessed differences in perceived social support across bully/victim subtypes, and evaluated peer and maternal social support as protective factors among victims, bullies, and bully-victims. Youth were classified as uninvolved (61.6%), as bullies (14.3%), as victims (12.5%), and as bully-victims (11.6%). Uninvolved youth reported the most peer and maternal social support and the least anxiety/depression. Multivariate analyses revealed that there was a significant interaction between bully/victim groups and peer social support. Specifically, bullies, victims, and bully-victims who reported moderate peer social support also indicated the least anxiety/depression. Results highlight the importance of encouraging youth to develop and effectively use peer support networks as part of bullying intervention programs.
Descriptors: Social Support Groups, Intervention, Bullying, Depression (Psychology), Anxiety, Adolescents, Mothers, Peer Groups
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
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Author Affiliations: N/A