Peer defending as a multidimensional behavior: Development and validation of the Defending Behaviors Scale

Abstract

Defending represents any prosocial behavior taken to assist an individual being victimized. Like other forms of prosocial behavior, defending may be best conceptualized as a multidimensional set of behaviors, including both direct and indirect forms of defending. The objective of the current research was to design and validate the Defending Behaviors Scale (DBS), a multidimensional self-report scale of defending behaviors. Data were collected from 572 early adolescents in Grades 6 to 8. Participants completed the DBS as well as established measures of bullying, victimization, empathy, aggression, social self-efficacy, social support, and prosocial behavior. Data were analyzed using an exploratory structural equation modeling framework. A four-factor model provided the best fit to the data. Direct defending included aggressive and solution-focused behaviors, whereas indirect defending included comforting and reporting to authority. Girls were more likely to defend others by offering comfort and reporting to authority, whereas aggressive defending was more common among boys. Each subscale demonstrated good internal consistency (α's 0.80–0.92) and was uniquely associated with empathy, aggression, and other types of prosocial behavior. The DBS is a new, psychometrically-valid measure that will aid in the assessment of heterogenous defending behaviors.