Bidirectional Associations Between Bullying Victimization and Likeability Among Indian Adolescents

Abstract

AbstractResearch suggests that well-liked adolescents are less likely to be victimized by peers whereas disliked adolescents are at an increased risk for bullying victimization. Yet, bidirectional relations between likeability and bullying victimization remain understudied, particularly in non-Western countries. The main objective of this study was to analyze the bidirectional associations between bullying victimization and likeability in a sample of Indian adolescents, using a multi-informant gender-based approach. The sample was composed of 1238 students, aged 11–16 (66.6% males), from nine schools in India. Two follow-ups were carried out, spaced three-months apart, resulting in a sample of 1006 students (72% males) in the third wave of study. Two cross-lagged panel models (CLPM) were computed separately for self- and peer-reported bullying victimization, and multiple group analyses were used to examine gender differences. The results showed a complex longitudinal interplay between victimization and likeability, which differed between boys and girls. In boys, likeability and victimization were bidirectionally related over time, with slight differences between self- and peer-reports. Among girls, only two significant relations emerged, suggesting that peer victimization could lead to rejection, and having more friends could put girls at risk for future victimization. These findings indicate that bullying victimization is a complex phenomenon in which peer acceptance and rejection play a different role for boys and girls in the Indian context.