Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T06:21:34.209Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A Cross-National Comparison of Aggressors, Victims and Defenders in Preschools in England, Spain and Italy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

Claire P. Monks ,
Annalisa Palermiti ,
Rosario Ortega  and
Angela Costabile
Claire P. Monks*
Affiliation:
University of Greenwich (UK)
Annalisa Palermiti
Affiliation:
Università della Calabria (Italy)
Rosario Ortega
Affiliation:
Universitad de Córdoba (Spain)
Angela Costabile
Affiliation:
Università della Calabria (Italy)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Claire P. Monks. Department of Psychology and Counselling. University of Greenwich. Avery Hill Campus. Southwood Site. Avery Hill Road. Eltham. London SE9 2UG. (UK). Phone: +44(0)2083319584. Fax: +44(0)208331916. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

There is a small, but growing, body of research investigating peer-victimisation between preschoolers, an age which has been identified as being important both theoretically and practically for the development of interventions. This study compares aggressive and defending behaviour and victim status of preschoolers in three European countries; England, Spain and Italy. The results provide further confirmation that some children behave aggressively towards their peers during preschool in each of the countries studied. There are similarities between preschool children involved in peer-victimisation in the three countries in terms of the roles taken, sex differences and the types of aggressive behaviours used and experienced by the children. There were differences in the profiles of children identified as taking the roles by teachers and peers. Overall, it was found that those children identified by peers or teachers as being aggressive were more likely to be male, rated as physically strong and more likely to be rejected by classmates. Also, in general, the targets of peer-victimisation differed depending on the reporter. Peer-nominated victims were not identifiable in terms of gender, popularity or physical strength. Teacher-nominated victims were more likely to be socially rejected and physically weak. There are several subtle differences between the countries which deserve further investigation. The findings are discussed in relation to furthering our understanding of the development of peer-victimisation in preschools and the need for interventions which address this phenomenon.

En la actualidad existe un pequeño, aunque creciente, cuerpo de investigación científica referida a la victimización entre preescolares, edad identificada como de gran importancia tanto teórica como práctica para el desarrollo. Este estudio compara las conductas de agresión y defensa con el estatus social de grupo en muestras de preescolares de tres países europeos: Inglaterra, España e Italia. Los resultados aportan evidencia de comportamiento agresivo de unos escolares hacia otros en cada uno de los países estudiados. Hay similitudes entre los preescolares victimizados por sus iguales en los tres países estudiados en términos de los roles adoptados, el sexo, el tipo de agresión ejecutada y padecida, así como en la identificación que realizan los compañeros sobre los roles jugados. Se encontraron diferencias en identificación y atribución de roles, realizada por los maestros y por los iguales. Y sobre todo, se ha encontrado que los preescolares identificados por sus iguales o por sus maestros como agresores tienden a ser varones, valorados como físicamente más fuertes y con mayor tendencia a ser rechazados por sus compañeros de aula. Pero en general, la elección del preescolar objeto de agresión por sus iguales, parece depender de quién haga la nominación. La nominación como víctimas de sus iguales no parece identificable en términos de género, popularidad y desarrollo físico. Los maestros tienden a nominar como víctimas de sus compañeros a preescolares a los que perciben como socialmente rechazados y físicamente débiles. Hemos encontrado diferencias entre países que requieren investigación confirmatoria. Los resultados se discuten en relación a la necesidad de una mayor comprensión de la victimización entre iguales en los años preescolares para una más idónea intervención del fenómeno.

Keywords

victimisationpreschoolaggressionprosocial behaviourvictimizaciónpreescolaragresiónconducta prosocial
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 14 , Issue 1 , May 2011 , pp. 133 - 144
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baumgartner, E. (2000). Al di là dell'amicizia: tipologie di relazione nella scuola materna [Beyond friendship; typologies of relations in infant school]. Età evolutiva, 67, 33–39.Google Scholar
Björkqvist, K., Lagerspetz, K. M., & Kaukiainen, A., (1992). Do girls manipulate and boys fight? Developmental trends in regard to direct and indirect aggression. Aggressive Behaviour, 18, 117–127. doi:10.1002/1098-2337(1992)18:2<117::AID-AB2480180205>3.0.CO;2-33.0.CO;2-3>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boulton, M. J., & Smith, P. K., (1994). Bully/victim problems in middle-school children: Stability, self-perceived competence, peer perceptions and peer acceptance. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 12, 315–329.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boulton, M. J., & Underwood, K. (1992). Bully/victim problems among middle school children. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 62, 73–87.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Card, N. A., Stucky, B. D., Sawalani, G. M., & Little, D. D. (2008). Direct and indirect aggression during childhood and adolescence: A meta-analytic review of gender differences, intercorrelations, and relations to maladjustment. Child Development, 79, 1185–1229. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01184.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coie, J. D., & Dodge, K. A., (1998). Aggression and antisocial behaviour. In Damon, W., & Eisenberg, N. (Eds.). Handbook of child psychology: Vol.3, Social, emotional and personality development. (pp. 779–862.) New York, NY: Wiley.Google Scholar
Coie, J. D., Dodge, K. A., & Coppotelli, H. (1982). Dimensions and types of social status: A cross-age perspective. Developmental Psychology, 18, 557–57. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.18.4.557CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crick, N. R., Casas, J. F., & Ku, H. (1999). Relational and physical forms of peer victimisation in pre-school. Developmental Psychology, 35, 376–385. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.35.2.376CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crick, N. R., Casas, J. F., & Mosher, M. (1997). Relational and overt aggression in pre-school. Developmental Psychology, 33, 579–588. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.33.4.579CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crick, N. R., & Grotpeter, J. K. (1995). Relational aggression, gender and social-psychological adjustment. Child Development, 66, 710–722. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.ep9506152720CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crick, N. R., Werner, N. E., Casas, J. F., O'Brien, K. M., Nelson, D. A., Grotpeter, J. K., & Markon, K. (1998). Childhood aggression and gender: a new look at an old problem. In Bernstein, D. (Ed.), The Nebraska symposium on motivation: Vol. 45. Gender and motivation (pp. 75–141). Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.Google Scholar
Egan, S. K., & Monson, T. C. (1998). Social-cognitive influences on change in aggression over time. Developmental Psychology, 34, 996–1006.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hanish, L.D., & Guerra, N.G. (2000). Predictors of peer victimisation among urban youth. Social Development, 9, 521–543. doi:10.1111/1467-9507.00141CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hodges, E. V. E., & Perry, D. G. (1999). Personal and interpersonal antecedents and consequences of victimisation by peers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76, 677–685. doi:10.1037//0022-3514.76.4.677CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Killen, M., & Turiel, E. (1991). Conflict resolution in pre-school social interactions. Early Education and Development, 2, 240–255. doi:10.1207/s15566935eed0203_6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kochenderfer, B. J., & Ladd, G. W. (1996). Peer victimization: Cause or consequence of school maladjustment? Child Development, 67, 1305–1317. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.ep9704040996CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kochenderfer, B. J., & Ladd, G. W. (1997). Victimised children's responses to peers' aggression: Behaviours associated with reduced versus continued victimisation. Development and Psychopathology, 9, 59–73. doi:10.1017/S0954579497001065CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kochenderfer-Ladd, B. J., & Wardrop, J. L. (2001). Chronicity and instability of children's peer victimization experiences as predictors of loneliness and social satisfaction trajectories. Child Development, 72, 134–151. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00270CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ladd, G. W., & Burgess, K. B. (1999). Charting the relationship trajectories of aggressive, withdrawn, and aggressive/withdrawn children during early grade school. Child Development, 70, 910–929. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00066CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ladd, G. W., & Kochenderfer-Ladd, B. (2002). Identifying victims of peer aggression from early to middle childhood: Analysis of crossinformant data for concordance, estimation of relational adjustment, prevalence of victimization, and characteristics of identified victims. Psychological Assessment, 14, 74–96. doi:10.1037//1040-3590.14.1.74CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lagerspetz, K. M., Björkqvist, K., Berts, M., & King, E. (1982). Group aggression among school children in three schools. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 23, 45–52. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9450.1982.tb00412.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Monks, C. P., Ortega, R., & Torrado, E. (2002). Unjustified aggression in a Spanish preschool. Aggressive Behavior, 28, 458–476. doi:10.1002/ab.10032CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Monks, C. P., & Smith, P. K. (2000). The social relationships of children involved in bully/victim problems at school. In Mills, R., & Duck, S. (Eds.). Developmental Psychology of Personal Relationships. Chichester, UK: Wiley.Google Scholar
Monks, C. P., & Smith, P. K. (2006). Definitions of “bullying”; Age differences in understanding of the term, and the role of experience. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 24, 801–821. doi:10.1348/026151005X82352CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Monks, C. P., Smith, P. K., & Swettenham, J. (2003). Aggressors, victims and defenders in preschool: peer, self and teacher reports. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 49, 453–469.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Monks, C. P., Smith, P. K., & Swettenham, J. (2005). The Psychological Correlates of Peer Victimisation in Preschool: Social Cognitive Skills, Executive Function and Attachment Profiles. Aggressive Behavior, 31, 571–588. doi:10.1002/ab.20099CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Connell, P., Pepler, D., & Craig, W. (1999). Peer involvement in bullying: insights and challenges for intervention. Journal of Adolescence, 22, 437–452. doi:10.1006/jado.1999.0238CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Olweus, D. (1978). Aggression in schools: Bullies and whipping boys. Washington, DC: Hemisphere.Google Scholar
Ostrov, J. M. (2008). Forms of aggression and peer victimisation during early childhood: A short-term longitudinal study. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 36, 311–322. doi:10.1007/s10802-007-9179-3CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ostrov, J. M., & Keating, C. F. (2004). Gender differences in preschool aggression during free play and structured interactions: An observational study. Social Development, 13, 255–277. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9507.2004.000266.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ortega, R. (1993). Intimidación y violencia en las relaciones interpersonales. La cara más oculta del curróculum escolar [Intimidation and violence in interpersonal relations. The hidden face of the school curriculum]. In Loscertales, F., & Marón, M. (Eds.), Dimensiones psicosociales de la educación y la comunicación [Psychosocial dimensions of education and communication] Madrid: Eudema.Google Scholar
Ortega, R., & Monks, C. P. (2005). Agresividad injustificada entre preescolares: un estudio preliminar [Unjustified aggression among preschoolers: a preliminary study]. Psicothema, 17, 453–458.Google Scholar
Pellegrini, A. D., & Bartini, M. (2000). An empirical comparison of methods of sampling aggression and victimization in school settings. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92, 360–366. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.92.2.360CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Perren, S., & Alsaker, F. D. (2006). Social behavior and peer relationships of victims, bully-victims, and bullies in kindergarten. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47, 45–57. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2005.01445.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Perry, D. G., Perry, L. C., & Boldizar, J. P. (1990). Learning of aggression. In Lewis, M., & Miller, S. (Eds.). Handbook of developmental psychopathology. New York, NY: Plenum.Google Scholar
Roseth, C. J., Pellegrini, A. D., Bohn, C. M., Van Ryzin, M., & Vance, N. (2007). Preschoolers' aggression, affiliation, and social dominance relationships: An observational, longitudinal study. Journal of School Psychology, 45, 479–497. doi:10.1016/j.jsp.2007.02.008CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rigby, K. (1997). Bullying in school: and what to do about it. London: Jessica Kingsley.Google Scholar
Salmivalli, C., Lagerspetz, K. M. J., Björkqvist, K., Österman, K., & Kaukiainen, A. (1996). Bullying as a group process: Participant roles and their relations to social status within the group. Aggressive Behavior, 22, 1–15. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1098-2337(1996)22:1<1::AID-AB1>3.0.CO;2-T3.0.CO;2-T>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schäfer, M., Korn, S., Brodbeck, F., Wolke, D., & Schulz, H. (2005). Bullying roles in changing contexts: The stability of victim and bully roles from primary to secondary school. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 29, 323–335. doi:10.1080/01650250544000107CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Snyder, J., Brooker, M., Patrick, R., Snyder, A., Schrepferman, L., & Stoolmiller, M. (2003). Observed peer victimization during early elementary school: Continuity, growth, and relation to risk for child antisocial and depressive behavior. Child Development, 74, 1881–1898. doi:10.1046/j.1467-8624.2003.00644.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sutton, J., & Smith, P. K. (1999). Bullying as a group process: An adaptation of the participant role approach. Aggressive Behavior, 25, 87–111. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1098-2337(1999)25:2<97::AID-AB3>3.0.CO;2-73.0.CO;2-7>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tomada, G., & Schneider, B. H. (1997). Relational aggression, gender, and peer acceptance: invariance across culture, stability over time, and concordance among informants. Developmental Psychology, 33, 601–609. doi:10.1037//0012-1649.33.4.601CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
UNICEF (2006). Child Poverty in Perspective: An overview of child well-being in rich countries. Innocenti Research Centre, Florence: UNICEF. doi:10.2190/EX7G-KCHY-J32Y-XNCPGoogle Scholar
Wood, J. J., Cowan, P. A., & Baker, B. L. (2002). Behavior problems and peer rejection in preschool boys and girls. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 163, 72–88. doi:10.1080/00221320209597969CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Younger, A. J., Schwartzman, A. E., & Ledingham, J. E. (1985). Age-related changes in children's perceptions of aggression and withdrawal in their peers. Developmental Psychology, 21, 70–75. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.21.1.70CrossRefGoogle Scholar