They Are Not All the Same: Defenders of Ethnically Victimized Adolescents

• Published in: Journal of youth and adolescence 2024-12, Vol.53 (12), p.2717-2731
• Main Authors: Bilir Özturk, Pinar, Bayram Özdemir, Sevgi, Strohmeier, Dagmar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior - ethnology; Adolescent Behavior - psychology; Adolescents; Behavior; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Bullying - psychology; Bullying - statistics & numerical data; Child and School Psychology; Classroom Environment; Classrooms; Clinical Psychology; Cognition & reasoning; Crime Victims - psychology; Defending; Diversity norms; Early adolescence; Empirical Research; Ethnic victimization; Ethnicity; Ethnicity - psychology; Female; Health Psychology; History of Psychology; Humans; Immigrants; Interpersonal Relations; Law and Psychology; Male; Multivariate Analysis; Peer Group; Peer Relationship; Peer relationships; Perspective Taking; Perspective taking skills; Psychology; Psykologi; Schools; Skills; Social status; Sweden; Teenagers; Thinking Skills; Victimization; Victims
• ISSN: 0047-2891; 1573-6601; 1573-6601
• DOI: 10.1007/s10964-024-02026-2

Developing a comprehensive understanding of adolescents’ defending behaviors in peer victimization incidents is crucial, as these behaviors are instrumental in preventing victimization in schools. Despite recent efforts to examine various defender subgroups and their characteristics, the heterogeneity in defending behaviors within the context of ethnic victimization remains unclear. To address this gap in knowledge, the current study examined naturally occurring subgroups of defenders in ethnic victimization incidents and investigated whether these subgroups differ in their socio-cognitive skills, class norms, and social status within peer relationships. The sample included adolescents in Sweden ( N  = 1065; M age  = 13.12, SD  = 0.41; 44.5% females). Cluster analysis yielded four distinct subgroups: victim-oriented defenders (41.3%), hybrid defenders (23.5%), bully-oriented defenders (9.8%), and non-defenders (25.4%). Hybrid and victim-oriented defenders had higher levels of perspective taking skills and positive attitudes toward immigrants than non-defenders. All three defender subgroups perceived their classroom climate as more socially cohesive than non-defenders. All four subgroups did not significantly differ in their peer status. These findings emphasize the importance of fostering inclusive class norms and implementing classroom practices that facilitate the development of perspective taking skills among students. Such effort can enhance adolescents’ active defending behaviors in instances of ethnic victimization.