Does defending affect adolescents' peer status, or vice versa? Testing the moderating effects of empathy, gender, and anti‐bullying norms

This study examined bidirectional associations between students' bully‐directed defending behavior and their peer status (being liked or popular) and tested for the moderating role of empathy, gender, and classroom anti‐bullying norms. Three waves of data were collected at 4–5‐month time interv...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of research on adolescence 2023-09, Vol.33 (3), p.913-930
Main Authors: Laninga‐Wijnen, Lydia, Malamut, Sarah T., Garandeau, Claire F., Salmivalli, Christina
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Bidirectionality
Bullying
Classrooms
defending
Empathy
Gender
Girls
Norms
peer status
Peers
Popularity
Predictions
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Summary:This study examined bidirectional associations between students' bully‐directed defending behavior and their peer status (being liked or popular) and tested for the moderating role of empathy, gender, and classroom anti‐bullying norms. Three waves of data were collected at 4–5‐month time intervals among 3680 Finnish adolescents (Mage = 13.94, 53.0% girls). Cross‐lagged panel analyses showed that defending positively predicted popularity and, to a larger degree, being liked over time. No moderating effect of empathy was found. Popularity was more strongly predictive of defending, and defending was more strongly predictive of status among girls than among boys. Moreover, the positive effects of both types of status on defending were—albeit to a limited extent—stronger in classrooms with higher anti‐bullying norms.
ISSN:1050-8392
1532-7795
DOI:10.1111/jora.12847