The occurrence of bullying, victimization, and aggressive victimization was documented in a sample of 5th graders. Bullies comprised about 14% of the sample, whereas aggressive victims and victims comprised, respectively, 5% and 18%. Bullying and aggressive victimization was positively related to youngsters' emotionality and activity and negatively related to peer popularity. Although proactive and reactive aggression was related to bullying scores within the group of bullies, only proactive aggression was related to within-group popularity for bullies. Having friends and being liked by one's peers were protective factors against victimization, although the latter was more powerful than the former. Suggestions for future research, school policy, and intervention are made.

In this multimethod, multiagent longitudinal study, boys' dominance was studied as they made the transition from primary to middle school. A cohort of boys was followed as they moved from fifth grade (mean age 10.1 years of age) through sixth grade (mean age 12.1 years of age). Consistent with theory, dominance decreased as boys made the transition to a new group; aggression initially increased from primary school to the start of sixth grade and then decreased again at the end of the year. Additionally, and consistent with theory, dominance had a significant aggressive, but not affiliative, dimension at the start of sixth grade. By the end of the year, dominance did not have a significant aggressive dimension but did have a significant affiliative dimension. Last, both affiliative and aggressive dimensions of dominance predicted heterosexual relationships (i.e., dating) at the end of the sixth grade. Results are discussed in terms of distal, evolutionary effects and proximal, peer group effects on peer relations in adolescence.In the present study the development of social dominance was examined in a sample of early adolescent boys. First, changes in aggression

Methods of identifying aggressive/bullying and victimized youngsters in a middle school sample were compared. First, the authors compared teachers' and research associates' ratings of students' aggression and found that the 2 measures were significantly correlated. Second, direct observations of youngsters' aggression and victimization were compared with indirect, diary measures kept by youngsters of the same behaviors. The measures were not interrelated, but the diary measures were related to the peer and self-report measures, whereas the direct observations were related to peer and teacher measures. Third, the authors compared the ability of different peer and self-report measures to identify youngsters at different levels of aggression and victimization severity. All measures were associated, even at low levels of severity. Results are discussed in terms of different instruments that provide information on public and private behavior.

No abstract

The intent of this longitudinal, multi-method, multi-agent study was to examine changes in bullying, victimization, and aggressive victimization as well as changes in peer a./.'/71ialion as youngsters made the transition from primary school through the first year oJ'middle school. Results indicated that bullying and aggressive victimization were relatively stable across time, possibly due to temperamental factors. Changes in peer a2JTliation indicated that youngsters' casual contacts with peers initially decreased from prima#31 to the beginning of middle school but recovered by the end of the year. Close relationships, however, decreased, and number of youngsters nominated as isolates increased. Being embedded in an a./.~'liative network of pee,ts, in turn, inhibiled victimization. School environmental factors did not make significant contributions to bullying or victimization. Results are discussed in terms oJ'the importance of social aJ.'/)'liations in minimizing victimization in early adolescence. Limitations of the research were noted and suggestions for fitture research were also made.