A multi-theoretical perspective was used to identify family patterns as perceived by children who bully others at school, are victims of such bullying, or both (bully/victims). A sample of 20 bullies, 20 victims, 20 bully/victims and 20 control children was selected from three middle schools by peer nomination. Four assessment measures, the Family Relations Test, the Parenting Style Questionnaire, the Family Systems Test and the Separation Anxiety Test, were used. The four subgroups yielded quite distinct profiles on the first three of these tests. The results show the importance of treating bully/victims as a separate subgroup, and the utility of considering the child's perspective on family relations. Results for the Separation Anxiety Test were non-significant and the implications of this are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bene, J. & Anthony, J. (1957) Manual for the Family Relations Test. London: National Foundation for Education Research (reprinted 1985).
2.
Bowers, L. , Smith, P.K. & Binney, V.A. (1992) `Cohesion and Power in the Families of Children Involved in Bully/victim Problems at School', Journal of Family Therapy14: 371-387.
3.
Bretherton, I. (1985) `Attachment Theory: Retrospect and Prospect', in I. Bretherton & E. Waters (eds) `Growing Points of Attachment Theory and Research', Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development50: 3-35.
4.
Coie, J.D. , Dodge, K.A. & Coppotelli, H. (1982) `Dimensions and Types of Social Status: A Cross-age Perspective', Developmental Psychology18: 557-570.
5.
Dishion, T.J. (1990) `The Family Ecology of Boys' Peer Relations in Middle Childhood', Child Development61: 874-892.
6.
Fagot, B. & Kavanagh, K. (1990) `The Prediction of Antisocial Behavior from Avoidant Attachment Classifications', Child Development61: 864-873.
7.
Fonagy, P. , Steele, M. & Steele, H. (1991) `Maternal Representations of Attachment During Pregnancy Predict Infant-mother Attachment Patterns at One Year of Age', Child Development62: 891-905.
8.
Gehring, T.M. & Wyler, I.L. (1986) `Family Systems Test (FAST): A Three Dimensional Approach to Investigate Family Relationships', Child Psychiatry and Human Development16: 235-248.
9.
Jaffe, E.D. (1977) `Perceptions of Family Relations by Institutionalised and Non-institutionalised Dependent Children', Child Psychiatry and Human Development8: 81-93.
10.
Kaufman, J.M. , Halahan, D.P. & Ball, D.W. (1975) `Parents' Predictions of Their Children's Perceptions of Family Relations', Journal of Personality Assessment39: 228-235.
11.
Klagsbrun, M. & Bowlby, J. (1976) `Response to Separation from Parents: A Clinical Test for Young Children', Projective Psychology21: 7-27.
12.
Loeber, R. & Dishion, T.J. (1984) `Boys Who Fight at Home and School: Family Conditions Influencing Cross-setting Consistency', Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology52: 759-768.
13.
Main, M. (1991) `Metacognitive Models, Metacognitive Monitoring, and Singular (Coherent) Model of Attachment: Findings and Directions for Future Research', in C.M. Parkes, J. Stevenson-Hinde & P. Marris (eds) Attachment Across the Life Cycle. London: Tavistock/Routledge.
14.
Minuchin, P. (1988) `A Systems Perspective on Development', in R.A. Hinde & J. Stevenson-Hinde (eds) Relationships Within Families: Mutual Influences. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
15.
Olweus, D. (1980) `Familial and Temperamental Determinants of Aggressive Behavior in Adolescent Boys: A Causal Analysis', Child Development16: 644-660.
16.
Olweus, D. (1991) `Bully/victim Problems Among Schoolchildren: Basic Facts and Effects of a School Based Intervention Program', in K. Rubin & D. Pepler (eds) The Development and Treatment of Childhood Aggression. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
17.
Olweus, D. (1993) `Victimisation by Peers: Antecedents and Long-term Out-comes', in K.H. Rubin & J.B. Asendorpf (eds) Social Withdrawal, Inhibition, and Shyness in Childhood. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
18.
Parker, G. , Tupling, H. & Brown, L.B. (1979) `A Parental Bonding Instrument', British Journal of Medical Psychology52: 1-10.
19.
Patterson, C.J. , Kupersmidt, J.B. & Griesler, P.C. (1990) `Children's Perceptions of Self and of Relationships with Others as a Function of Sociometric Status', Child Development61: 1335-1349.
20.
Patterson, G.R. (1986) `The Contribution of Siblings to Training for Fighting: A Microsocial Analysis', in D. Olweus, J. Block & M. Radke-Yarrow (eds) Development of Antisocial and Prosocial Behavior: Research Theories and Issues. New York: Academic Press.
21.
Patterson, G.R. , DeBaryshe, B.D. & Ramsay, E. (1989) `A Developmental Perspective on Antisocial Behavior', American Psychologist44: 329-335.
22.
Pikas, A. (1989) `The Common Concern Method for the Treatment of Mobbing', in E. Roland & E. Munthe (eds) Bullying: An International Perspective. London: David Fulton.
23.
Renken, B. , Egeland, B., Marvinney, D., Mangelsdorf, S. & Sroufe, L.A. (1989) `Early Childhood Antecedents of Aggression and Passive-withdrawal in Early Elementary School', Journal of Personality57: 257-281.
24.
Rubin, K.H. , LeMare, L.J. & Lollis, S. (1990) `Social Withdrawal in Childhood: Developmental Pathways to Peer Rejection', in S.R. Asher & J.D. Coie (eds) Peer Rejection in Childhood. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
25.
Shouldice, A. & Stevenson-Hinde, J. (1992) `Coping with Security Distress: the Separation Anxiety Test and Attachment Classification at 4.5 Years', Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry33: 331-348.
26.
Slough, N.M. & Greenberg, M.T. (1990) `Five-year-olds Representations of Separations From Parents: Responses From the Perspective of Self and Other', in I. Bretherton & M.W. Watson (eds) Children's Perspectives on the Family. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
27.
Smith, P.K. (1991) `The Silent Nightmare: Bullying and Victimisation in School Peer Groups', The Psychologist4: 243-248.
28.
Smith, P.K. , Padley, E., Bowers, L. & Binney, V.A. (1993) `A Revision of the Parental Bonding Instrument: The Parenting Style Questionnaire', manuscript submitted for publication.
29.
Troy, M. & Sroufe, L.A. (1987) `Victimization Among Preschoolers: Role of Attachment Relationship History', Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry26: 166-172.
30.
Turner, P. (1991) `Relations Between Attachment, Gender, and Behavior with Peers in Preschool', Child Development62: 1475-1488.
31.
Whitney, I. & Smith, P.K. (1993) `A Survey of the Nature and Extent of Bullying in Junior/middle and Secondary Schools', Educational Research35: 3-25.
