Résumé des résultats

Victimization, also called bullying, is a subtype of aggressive behavior that is directed toward a specific victim. A child is considered as a victim when she/he is repeatedly harassed by peers over time. The aggressive acts against the victim may be physical, verbal, or social (e.g. isolation or rumors), and they often include humiliating elements. Victimization in the peer group has an immensely stressful effect on children.

Studies addressing the issue of bully/victim problems in the preschool years or in kindergarten are extremely rare. The present study set out to examine 1) the heterogeneity of victims and aggressive children in kindergarten, 2) the variety of early risk factors, 3) associations with children’s well-being, and 4) the stability of roles during transition to primary school. A further aim was to implement and evaluate a prevention program against victimization.

Kindergarten classes were recruited from the Canton of Bern. 1090 children participated in the first wave of data collection. Children were interviewed and gave information on themselves and their peer group. In addition, children underwent playful testing. Teachers and parents filled in questionnaires both on each child and on themselves. Further, we offered a prevention program to half of the kindergartens. At the end of the school year, a second data collection took place. A third data collection was launched between one and two years later.

Percentages of children involved in bully/victim problems were very similar to both those obtained in an earlier study in kindergarten and to studies including older school children. 6% of the children were observed to be victimized at least once a week, without bullying other children and were categorized as passive victims. 12% of the children bullied peers at least once a week, without being bullied; they were categorized as bullies. 7% of the children bullied others and were victimized at least once a week; they were classified as aggressive victims. 20% of the children did sometimes bully peers or they were sometimes bullied; and finally, 55% of the children were not involved.

As to the stability of bullying roles, there are both good and bad news. The bad news is that results based on the observations made by a new teacher in wave three indicated that there was a high stability for the role of aggressive victim. The good news is that children who were not involved in kindergarten usually remained in that category in primary school. Also, many children who were involved in some bullying role in kindergarten were either not involved or only sometimes involved in school.

Our results, including the stability of roles, confirm that aggressive victims have to be considered as different from passive victims and other aggressive children. Even if they shared some characteristics with bullies in terms of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity, i.e., difficulties related to behavioral regulation, they displayed even more aggressive and oppositional behavior than bullies. In tests on social problem solving, they more often suggested aggressive strategies than other children. Also, even if passive as well as aggressive victims had difficulties in finding friends, were less liked in the peer group, and looked sad and unhappy, they did not share any other characteristics with another.

Passive victims were reported to be cooperative children who also helped and comforted others, and shared their belongings with peers. However, they showed several characteristics that are likely to make them vulnerable to victimization: they were reported to be anxious and shy and to easily withdraw from peers, taking less initiative to play activities. Also, the fact that they were clearly not well integrated in the group, as indicated by their not being well liked and their difficulties finding friends, adds to their vulnerability. In the test situation, they typically generated fear reactions to provocative situations and suggested avoidant solutions to social problem situations.

Bullies had high scores on inattention, impulsivity and hyperactive behavior, but displayed much helping, comforting, sharing and cooperative behavior. They excelled when it came to setting limits and to taking the initiative in the peer group. Bullies were well liked and integrated. Moreover, results from tests on social competencies yielded a picture of bullies as being competent or at least socially smart children.

Furthermore, children having mothers who were not born in Switzerland were more often passive victims than could be expected, especially when mothers and chidren had poor language skills. Also, both children whose parents were separated or divorced, and children from disadvantaged families in terms of socio-economic status, had a higher risk of being a passive victim. That is, general stress factors in the family seem to increase children’s vulnerability in the peer group. Our data also showed that there was some intergenerational transfer of aggressive behavior, whereas there were no such effects as to becoming a victim. Parents generally seemed to understand the seriousness of victimization, but they were very focused on individual predispostions causing a child to become a victim or a bully. These findings show that there is a need for information on victimization among parents.

Teachers accepted our prevention program very well. Data from the children showed that the central features of the program had been implemented. Children in the prevention kindergarten reported more adequate reactions to victimization situations at the end of the school year than the other children; and teachers felt more secure as to handling bullying in the class. All teachers agreed that it was important to talk to parents in cases of victimization.

Our data show a high consensus between children, teachers and parents with regard to the harmful consequences of victimization. Most children were well aware of the fact that victimization hurts and is unfair. Children who defended victims in bullying situations were mostly non-involved children and passive victims. Accordingly, children who are not aggressive represent a resource that should be drawn on in order to stop or prevent victimization. The good news is that a majority of parents stated that children who are not involved should help the victim. This is, actually, one of the key issues in our prevention program.

Plus des informations

Alsaker, F., Gutzwiller-Helfenfinger, E. (2008), Social behavior and peer relationships of victims, bully-victims, and bullies in kindergarten. In Jimerson, S., Swearer, S., Espelage, D. (eds.), The International Handbook of School Bullying. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Alsaker, F. D., Nägele, C (2008), Bullying in kindergarten and prevention. In Craig, W., Pepler, D. (eds.), An International Perspective on Understanding and Addressing Bullying. PREVNet Series, Vol. I PREVNet: Kingston, Canada.

Baumgartner, A., Alsaker, F. (2008), Mobbing unter Kindern und Jugendlichen: Die Rolle von individuellen sozialen Kompetenzen, Gruppenprozessen und sozialen Beziehungen. In: Malti, T., Perren, S. (Hrsg). Entwicklung und Förderung sozialer Kompetenzen in Kindheit und Adoleszenz. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.

Valkanover, S., Alsaker, F. (2008), Das Berner Präventionsprogramm gegen Gewalt im Kindergarten und in der Schule – Be-Prox. In: Drilling, M., Steiner, O., Davolio M., (Hrsg.), Gewalt an Schulen, Zürich: Verlag Pestalozzianum, 189-194.

Alsaker, F. (2006). Mobbing in Kindergarten und Schule und wie Erwachsene damit umgehen können. In: Zeitschrift für Religionsunterricht und Lebenskunde. Heft 4, 7-10.

Alsaker, F. (2007). Von Tätern und Opfern und dem Phänomen Mobbing in Kindergarten und Schule. In: Die Schule, Heft 3, 6-7.

Alsaker, F., Lauper, D. (2007), Mobbing in Kindergarten und Schule. In: SuchtMagazin 33 (1), 15-19.

Alsaker, F., Nägele, C., Valkanover, S., Hauser, D. (2008), Pathways to victimization and a multisetting intervention: Project documentation. Bern: University of Bern.

Nägele, C., Alsaker, F. (2005), Beschimpft, geplagt und ausgelacht – Mobbing im Kindergarten. Informationsbroschüre. Institut für Psychologie, Abteilung Entwicklungspsychologie, Universität Bern. Download: www.praevention-alsaker.unibe.ch

Nägele, C., Valkanover, S., Alsaker, F. (2005), Mobbing im Kindergarten. Erste Rückmeldung an die Eltern und Kindergärtnerinnen. Institut für Psychologie, Abteilung Entwicklungspsychologie, Universität Bern. Download: www.praevention-alsaker.unibe.ch