Dimensions of empathy and bystander intervention in bullying in elementary school.

The current study investigated associations among cognitive empathy, affective empathy, internalizing problems, and the five steps of the bystander intervention model (notice bullying events, interpret as an event requiring intervention, accept responsibility for intervening, know how to intervene, and act). Participants included 336 fourth and fifth grade students (58.9% boys) at a school in the Midwest region of the United States. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that greater cognitive empathy was related to noticing bullying events, accepting responsibility to intervene, and knowing how to intervene. Affective empathy was significantly related to the actual act of intervention. Further, significant interactions revealed that affective empathy was positively associated with interpreting bullying as an event that required intervention at low and moderate levels of internalizing problems, but not at high levels of internalizing problems. Overall these findings underscore the need to examine the decision to intervene as the culmination of a series of steps as outlined in the bystander intervention model, with each step potentially influenced by a unique set of precursors.

Initial development and validation of the Multidimensional Teacher Victimization Scale.

The Multidimensional Teacher Victimization Scale (MTVS) was developed to provide schools with a comprehensive and psychometrically sound self-report scale to assess teachers' perceptions of teacher-targeted aggressive and violent behaviors perpetrated by students. Using a cross-sectional survey-based research design, data were collected on a sample of 1,711 teachers (seventh to twelfth grade) from 58 schools in China. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that a second-order model with one general Teacher Victimization (TV) factor and six lower-order factors (i.e., Physical TV, Social TV, Verbal TV, Cyber TV, Sexual Harassment, and Personal Property Offenses) best represented the data. Measurement invariance tests showed that the scale's factor structure was consistent across middle and high schools and across gender. Latent mean comparisons suggested that similar levels of teacher victimization were reported across male and female teachers and across middle school and high school teachers. As evidence of the scale's concurrent validity, the total teacher victimization score correlated significantly with teachers' self-reported total burnout score and 3 subscale scores, including emotional exhaustion, accomplishment, and depersonalization. Adequate internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability were achieved in both the total scale and subscales. Implications for using MTVS as a school-wide violence assessment tool in Chinese schools and other cultural groups are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Measurement invariance of the Student Risk Screening Scale across time and gender.

Universal screening for behavioral/mental health risk is a critical component of multitiered systems of support, allowing for early identification of students in need of prevention and/or intervention services. The Student Risk Screening Scale (SRSS; Drummond, 1994) is one commonly used universal screening tool intended to measure externalizing behavior difficulties. Although the reliability and criterion-related validity of the SRSS has been studied extensively, there are limited data supporting its construct validity. To this end, the current study investigated the internal structure of the SRSS and the degree to which it demonstrated measurement invariance across time (i.e., fall, winter, spring) and gender (i.e., male, female). Fifty-five teachers completed the SRSS for 1,220 students in kindergarten through 5th grade across three elementary schools during fall, winter, and spring benchmarking periods. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the SRSS as a single-factor measure of externalizing behavior difficulties. Results of multigroup confirmatory factor analyses supported its measurement invariance across time and gender. These findings further establish the psychometric defensibility of the SRSS as used within multitiered systems of support. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed for practitioners and researchers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Peer victimization and suicidal ideation: The role of gender and depression in a school-based sample.

The current study investigated the relations among traditional and cyber victimization, depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and gender in a school-based sample of 403 9th grade (13 to 16-year-old) adolescents. Path analyses indicated that both traditional victimization and cyber victimization were associated with suicidal ideation indirectly through depressive symptoms. Although there was little evidence of gender differences in the associations among peer victimization and depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation, the relation between depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation was found to be significantly stronger for girls than boys. The current investigation confirms the complexity of the association between peer victimization and suicidal ideation and that depressive symptoms, as well as gender, may play a role in this complex relation. Future research should continue to explore the associations among victimization, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation within a social ecological framework.

Social Capital and Bystander Behavior in Bullying: Internalizing Problems as a Barrier to Prosocial Intervention.

Theory and research suggests that individuals with greater social capital (i.e., resources and benefits gained from relationships, experiences, and social interactions) may be more likely to be active, prosocial bystanders in bullying situations. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to examine the association of social capital (social support and social skills) with prosocial bystander behavior, and the role of internalizing problems as a potential barrier to this relation among 299 students (45.8% girls, 95% White) in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Results indicate a positive relation between social capital and prosocial bystander behavior. In addition, internalizing problems were a significant risk factor that may hinder youth-particularly girls-from engaging in defending behavior. Prosocial bystanders are an essential component to prevent and reduce bullying and further research is needed to better understand how to foster prosocial behavior in bullying situations, perhaps by utilizing social capital, related to school bullying.