Different Measurement Approaches as Sources of Differences in Data on the Prevalence of Peer Violence

Abstract

The goal of this research was to investigate the difference in results of prevalence of peer violence when using different measurement approaches (definitional and behavioral) and different data collecting methods (self-rating, peer rating, peer nomination, self-nomination). The article presents results from two different researches on two samples of school-aged children from two towns in Slavonia. Prevalence of peer violence, in both samples, was measured by self-rating method based on behavioral approach. Pupils from the first sample gave self-ratings and peer ratings of peer violence prevalence, based on definitional approach. Pupils from the second sample gave peer nomination and self-nomination of peer violence based on definitional approach. The results have shown a higher prevalence of peer violence when using definitional approach and the results were the same regardless of using peer ratings or self-ratings. Self-ratings methods based on behavioral approach and peer nomination based on definitional approach have shown same peer violence prevalence but a slightly higher prevalence was obtained when using self-nomination. The study shows that it is necessary to use multimethod approach when testing the peer violence prevalence.

Empathy and Moral Disengagement as Predictors of Bystander Roles in School Bullying

“…Gender-related findings indicate that boys take the roles of assistants and reinforcers more often than girls, while girls act as defenders and outsiders more often than boys do (9,13,14,15). Research on age differences has shown a growing trend in bullying among older elementary school students and younger high school students, and later bullying decreases with age (16). The results on age differences in bystander roles indicate that children and early adolescents are increasingly more likely to reinforce the bully (17) and less likely to defend the victim (14,17).…”

Can We Also Predict Electronic Peer Violence Based On the Predictors of Traditional Peer Violence?

“…Nadalje, u istraživanjima najčešće razlikujemo tjelesno i verbalno nasilje, a novije konceptualizacije uključuju i relacijsko ili emocionalno (psihičko) te seksualno i ekonomsko nasilje među vršnjacima (Bilić i sur., 2012). Svi navedeni oblici nasilja odnose se na tradicionalno vršnjačko nasilje, koje se i najčešće istraživalo (Olweus, 2010;Velki i Kuterovac Jagodić, 2014). U novije vrijeme sve je prisutnije elektroničko vršnjačko nasilje, kojemu je glavna karakteristika njegovo odvijanje u virtualnom svijetu (internet, mobitel), za razliku od tradicionalnoga, koje se odvija u realnom svijetu (najčešće u školi i školskom okruženju).…”

“…Metaanalitička istraživanja (Cook, Williams, Guerra i Kim, 2010a;Knight, Guthrie, Page i Fabes, 2002) pokazala su da je prevalencija tradicionalnoga nasilja među djecom za nasilnike i žrtve najmanja kada se od učenika traži nominacija vrš-njaka, dok je podjednako velika kod samoprocjene i procjene učestalosti nasilničkoga ponašanja od vršnjaka. Ako promatramo podatke o prevalenciji tradicionalnoga i elektroničkoga vršnjačkog nasilja za obje vrste nasilja, pronalazimo veću prevalenciju nasilnika ako su podaci prikupljeni definicijskim pristupom, dok je kod podataka prikupljenih na temelju pristupa opisa specifičnih ponašanja veća prevalencija žrtava i provokativnih žrtava (Velki i Kuterovac Jagodić, 2014). Istraživanja tradicionalnoga vršnjačkog nasilja u svijetu (SAD, Europa i Australija) među djecom od 10 do 15 godina govore o stopi viktimizacije od 9 do 32% te stopi nasilja od 3 do 27% (Stassen Berger, 2007).…”