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

Lydia Laninga-Wijnen; Sarah T Malamut; Claire F Garandeau; Christina Salmivalli

doi:10.1111/jora.12847

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

J Res Adolesc. 2023 Sep;33(3):913-930. doi: 10.1111/jora.12847. Epub 2023 Mar 31.

Authors

Lydia Laninga-Wijnen¹, Sarah T Malamut^{1

2}, Claire F Garandeau¹, Christina Salmivalli¹

Affiliations

¹ Developmental Psychology, INVEST Flagship, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
² Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

PMID: 37000023
DOI: 10.1111/jora.12847

Abstract

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 (M_age = 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.

Keywords: defending; norms; peer status.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Bullying*
Emotions
Empathy*
Female
Humans
Male
Peer Group