Psychology Commons^™

Person-Level Predictors Of Bullying And Bystander Behaviors Of Middle School Students, Todd Jason Dollar

Wayne State University Dissertations

This research examined the ways in which person-level factors (social goals, self-efficacy for defending, moral disengagement, and empathy) influence bullying and bystander experiences of middle school students. Participants (N = 207) in grades 6 to 8 (ages 11- to 15-years-old) who were enrolled in a suburban Public School Academy (i.e., charter school) middle school located in Southeastern Michigan completed a self-report questionnaire on one occasion. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed gender and grade differences in person-level factors. Gender differences were found for victimization. Females experienced significantly more social victimization than males. Multiple regression analyses revealed a synergistic effect for some, …

Empathy As A Moderator Of Adolescent Bullying Behavior And Moral Disengagement After Controlling For Social Desirability, Amy Zelidman

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the moderating influence empathy has on the associations between adolescent bullying behavior and moral disengagement after controlling for social desirability (e.g., response bias). 676 students in 7th and 8th grade from a suburban middle school in Southeast Michigan participated in this study in the fall of 2012.

Results showed male respondents were more likely than female respondents to (a) report engaging in all forms of traditional bullying behavior overall, including physical, verbal, and social bullying and (b) report higher rates of physical victimization and moral disengagement. Female respondents were more likely to …