Identifying aggressive victims in Chinese children’s peer groups

Abstract

This study investigated the behavioural profiles and psychosocial adjustment of aggressive victims in Chinese children’s peer groups. Participants were 294 elementary school students in Tianjin, PR China (mean age 11.5 years). Peers’ nominations and teachers’ ratings were combined to form composite scores of aggression and victimisation. A comparison of four subgroups showed that aggressive victims were disliked by peers, rated as hyperactive, had fewer dyadic friends, poorer academic functioning, and lower assertive/prosocial ratings than did nonvictimised aggressors or the normative children. These findings suggest that there may be a common behavioural pattern that is associated with maladjustment among aggressive victims across cultural settings.

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