Skip to main content

Cross-informant agreement about bullying and victimization among eight-year-olds: whose information best predicts psychiatric caseness 10–15 years later?

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology volume 44, pages 15–22 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective

To examine cross-informant agreement and whose information (parents, teachers, children) about childhood bullying and victimization carry the strongest weight to late adolescent psychiatric outcome. The importance of frequency of bullying in such predictions is addressed.

Methods

Information from 2,713 boys about bullying and victimization at the age of eight was correlated with information about psychiatric disorder at 18–23.

Results

Agreement between informants was poor. Teachers reported higher levels of frequent bullying than others, whereas children reported the highest percentage of victimization. All three informant groups’ reports of “frequent bullying” predicted later psychiatric disorder. Teachers’ reports of “frequent victimization” was the strongest predictor of later psychiatric disorder. Informants’ report about “infrequent bullying” showed at most a rather low risk of adverse outcome. When the associations between bullying/victimization and psychiatric outcome were adjusted with total psychopathology score at age 8, none of the associations remained significant.

Conclusion

“Frequent bullying” behaviour of boys is a marker of present and later psychopathology. The education system and school health-care service in mid- childhood are of great importance for the early detection of bullying and prevention of later adverse outcomes. A closer integration of these systems in the context of school should be promoted.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  1. Achenbach TM, McConaughy SH, Howell CT (1987) Child/adolescent behavioural and emotional problems: implications of cross-informant correlations for situational specificity. Psychol Bull 101:213–232

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Almqvist F, Ikäheimo K, Kumpulainen K, Tuompo-Johansson E, Linna S-L, Puura K, Moilanen I, Räsänen E, Tamminen T, Piha J (1999) Design and subjects of a Finnish epidemiological study on psychiatric disorders in childhood. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 8(Suppl IV):3–6

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Bernstein M (1984) Dominance: the baby and the bathwater. Behav Brain Sci 4:419–457

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Boulton MJ (1997) Teachers’ view on bullying definitions, attitudes and ability to cope. Br J Educ Psychol 67:223–233

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Boulton MJ, Smith PK (1994) Bully/victim problems in middle-school children: stability, self-perceived competence, peer perceptions, and peer acceptance. Br J Dev Psychol 12:315–329

    Google Scholar 

  6. Boulton MJ, Trueman M, Flemington I (2002) Associations between secondary school pupils’ definitions of bullying, attitudes towards bullying, and tendencies to engage in bullying: age and sex differences. Educ Stud 28:353–370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Fox CL, Boulton MJ (2005) The social skills problems of victims of bullying: self, peer and teacher perceptions. Br J Educ Psychol 75:313–328

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Glew GM, Fan M-Y, Katon W, Rivara FP, Kernic MA (2005) Bullying, psychosocial adjustment and academic performance in elementary school. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 159:1026–1031

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Goodman R (1999) The extended version of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire as a guide to child psychiatric caseness and consequent burden. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 40:791–799

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Henry DB, The Metropolitan Area Child Study Research Group (2006) Associations between peer nominations, teacher ratings, self-reports, and observations of malicious and disruptive behaviour. Assessment 13:241–252

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Hodges EVE, Perry DG (1999) Personal and interpersonal antecedents and consquences of victimization by peers. J Pers Soc Psychol 76:677–685

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Hofstra MB, van der Ende J, Verhulst FC (2001) Adolescents’ self-reported problems as predictors of psychopathology in adulthood: 10-year follow-up study. Br J Psychiatry 179:203–209

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Houndomadi A, Pateraki L (2001) Bullying and bullies in Greek elementary schools: pupils’ attitudes and teachers’/parents’ awareness. Educ Rev 53:19–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Jablonska B, Lindberg L (2007) Risk behaviours, victimization and mental distress among adolescents in different family structures. Soc Psychiatry Psychatr Epidemiol 42:656–663

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Kim YS, Leventhal KL, Koh Y-J, Hubbard A, Boyce T (2006) School bullying and youth violence. Causes or consequences of psychpathologic behavior? Arch Gen Psychiatry 63:1035–1041

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Kumpulainen K, Räsänen E (2000) Children involved in bullying at elementary school age: their psychiatric symptoms and deviance in adolescence. Child Abuse Negl 24:1567–1577

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Lease AM, Musgrove KT, Axelrod JL (2002) Dimensions of social status in pre-adolescent peer groups: likeability, perceived popularity, and social dominance. Soc Dev 11:508–533

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Loeber R, Gree SM, Lahey BB (1990) Mental health professionals’ perception of the utility of children, mothers, and teachers as informants on childhood psychopathology. J Clin Psychol 19:136–143

    Google Scholar 

  19. Mishna F, Scarcello I, Pepler D, Wiener J (2005) Teachers’ understanding of bullying. Can J Educ 28:718–738

    Google Scholar 

  20. Monks CP, Smith PK (2006) Definitions of bullying: age differences in understanding of the term, and the role of experience. Br J Dev Psychol 24:801–821

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Morita Y, Soeda H, Soeda K, Taki M (1999) Japan. In: Smith PK, Morita Y, Junger-Tas J, Olweus D, Catalano R, Slee P (eds) The nature of school bullying: a cross-national perspective. Routledge, London, pp 309–323

    Google Scholar 

  22. Naylor P, Cowie H, Cossin F, de Bettencourt R, Lemme F (2006) Teachers’ and pupils definitions of bullying. Br J Educ Psychol 76:553–576

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Olweus D (1991) Bullying/victim problems among schoolchildren: basic facts and effects of a school-based intervention programme. In: Pepler D, Rubin K (eds) The development and treatment of childhood aggression. Erlbaumm, Hillsdale pp. 411–448

    Google Scholar 

  24. Owens L, Shute R, Slee P (2000) Guess what I just heard!; indirect aggression among teenage girls in Australia. Agg Behav 26:67–83

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Pellegrini AD, Bartini M, Brooks F (1999) School bullies, victims, and aggressive victims: factors relating to group affiliation and victimization in early adolescence. J Edu Psychol 91:216–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Perry DG, Williard JC, Perry LC (1990) Peers’ perceptions of the consequences that victimized children provide aggressors. Child Dev 61:1310–1325

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Rodkin PC, Farmer TW, Pearl R, Van Acker R (2000) Heterogeneity of popular boys: antisocial and prosocial configurations. Dev Psychol 36:14–24

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Rønning JA, Handgaard BH, Sourander A (2004) Self-perceived peer harassment in a community sample of Norwegian school children. Child Abuse Negl 28:1067–1079

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Rutter M (1967) A children’s behaviour questionnaire for completion by teacher’s: preliminary findings. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 8:1–11

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Rutter M, Tizard J, Whitmore K (1970) Education, health and behaviour. Longman, London

    Google Scholar 

  31. Salmivalli C, Lagerspetz K, Björkqvist K, Österman K, Kaukiainen A (1995) Bullying as a group process: participant roles and their relations to social status within the group. Aggress Behav 22:1–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Schwartz D, Gorman AH, Nakamoto J, Toblin RL (2005) Victimization in the peer group and children’s academic functioning. J Educ Psychol 97:425–435

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Sentse M, Scholte R, Salmivalli C, Voeten M (2007) Person-group dissimilarity in involvement in bullying and its relation with social status. J Abnorm Child Psychol 35:1009–1019

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Smith JD, Cousins JB, Stewart R (2005) Antibullying interventions in schools: ingredients of effective programs. Can J Educ 28:739–762

    Google Scholar 

  35. Smith PK, Cowie H, Olafsson RF, Liefooghe APD (2002) Definitions of bullying: a comparison of terms used, and age and gender differences, in a fourteen-country international comparison. Child Dev 73:1119–1133

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Smith PK, Morita Y, Junger-Tas J, Olweus D, Catalano R, Slee P (eds) (1999) The nature of school bullying: a cross-national perspective. Routledge, London

  37. Sourander A, Helselä L, Helenius H (1999) Parent-adolescent agreement on emotional and behavioural problems. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 34:657–663

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Sourander A, Jensen P, Rønning JA, Niemela S, Helenius H, Kumpulainen K, Piha J, Tamminen T, Moilanen I, Almqvist F (2007) What is the early adult outcome of boys who bully or are bullied in childhood? The Finnish “from a boy to a man” study. Pediatrics 120:397–404

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Sourander A, Jensen P, Rønning JA, Elonheimo H, Niemela S, Helenius H, Kumpulainen K, Piha J, Tamminen T, Moilanen I, Almqvist F (2007) Are childhood bullies and victims at risk of criminality in late adolescence? The Finnish “From a boy to a man” study. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 161:546–552

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Sourander A, Multimäki P, Nikolakaros G, Haavisto A, Ristkari T, Helenius H., Parkkola K, Piha J, Tamminen T, Moilanen I, Kumpulainen K, Almqvist F (2005) Childhood predictors of psychiatric disorders among boys: a prospective community-based follow-up study from age 8 years to early adulthood. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 44:756–767

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Unnever JD, Cornell D (2004) Middle school victims of bullying: who reports being bullied? Aggress Behav 30:373–388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Van der Wal MF, de Wit CA, Hirasing RA (2003) Psychosocial health among young victims and offenders of direct and indirect bullying. Pediatrics 111:1312–1317

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Verhulst FC, Dekker MC, van der Ende J (1997) Parent, teacher and self-reports as predictors of signs of disturbance in adolescents: whose information carries the most weight? Acta Psychiatr Scand 96:75–81

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. von Eye A, Spiel C (1996) Standard and nonstandard log-linear symmetry models for measuring change in categorical variables. Am Stat 50:300–305

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Yang S-J, Kim J-M, Kim S-W, Shin I-S, Yoon J-S (2006) Bullying and victimization in boys and girls at South Korean primary schools. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 45:69–77

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Younger AJ, Schwartzman AE, Ledingham JE (1986) Age-related differences in childrens’ perceptions of social deviance: changes in behavior or in perspective? Dev Psychol 22:531–542

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø, 9038, Tromsø, Norway

    John A. Rønning & Andre Sourander

  2. University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway

    John A. Rønning

  3. Dept. of Child Psychiatry, Turku University, Turku, Finland

    Andre Sourander, Solja Niemelä & Jorma Piha

  4. Dept. of Child Psychiatry, Kuopio University, Kuopio, Finland

    Kirsti Kumpulainen

  5. Dept. of Child Psychiatry, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland

    Tuula Tamminen

  6. Dept. of Child Psychiatry, Oulu University, Oulu, Finland

    Irma Moilanen

  7. Dept. of Biostatistics, Turku University, Turku, Finland

    Hans Helenius

  8. Dept. of Child Psychiatry, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland

    Fredrik Almqvist

Authors
  1. John A. Rønning
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andre Sourander
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kirsti Kumpulainen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tuula Tamminen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Solja Niemelä
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Irma Moilanen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Hans Helenius
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Jorma Piha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Fredrik Almqvist
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rønning, J.A., Sourander, A., Kumpulainen, K. et al. Cross-informant agreement about bullying and victimization among eight-year-olds: whose information best predicts psychiatric caseness 10–15 years later?. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 44, 15–22 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0395-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0395-0

Keywords

  • bullying
  • victimization
  • cross-informant agreement
  • prediction
  • psychopathology