A latent class growth analysis of school bullying and its social context: the self-determination theory perspective

Sch Psychol Q. 2015 Mar;30(1):75-90. doi: 10.1037/spq0000067. Epub 2014 Jun 2.

Abstract

The contribution of social context to school bullying was examined from the self-determination theory perspective in this longitudinal study of 536 adolescents from 3 secondary schools in Hong Kong. Latent class growth analysis of the student-reported data at 5 time points from grade 7 to grade 9 identified 4 groups of students: bullies (9.8%), victims (3.0%), bully-victims (9.4%), and typical students (77.8%). There was a significant association between academic tracking and group membership. Students from the school with the lowest academic performance had a greater chance of being victims and bully-victims. Longitudinal data showed that all 4 groups tended to report less victimization over the years. The victims and the typical students also had a tendency to report less bullying over the years, but this tendency was reversed for bullies and bully-victims. Perceived support from teachers for relatedness significantly predicted membership of the groups of bullies and victims. Students with higher perceived support for relatedness from their teachers had a significantly lower likelihood of being bullies or victims. The findings have implications for the theory and practice of preventive interventions in school bullying.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Bullying*
  • Crime Victims*
  • Faculty
  • Female
  • Hong Kong
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Psychoanalytic Theory
  • Schools*
  • Social Environment*
  • Social Support
  • Statistics as Topic