Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Peer Interaction in Primary School Questionnaire: testing for measurement equivalence and latent mean differences in bullying between gender in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the USA

  • Published:
Social Psychology of Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Peer Interaction in Primary School Questionnaire (PIPSQ) was developed to assess individuals’ levels of bullying and victimization. This study used the approach of latent means analysis (LMA) within the framework of structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore the factor structure and gender differences associated with the PIPSQ in a sample of Egyptian (N = 361), Saudi Arabian (N = 350) and USA (270) children. Results of the confirmatory factor analysis are consistent with previous work and support the cross-cultural validity of the PIPSQ factor structure. The PIPSQ factor loadings were invariant across Egyptian and Saudi samples, whereas only partial invariance was met between Egyptian or Saudi samples and the USA sample. Full measurement invariance was met between gender within the three cultures, that is the PIPSQ was useful to compare bullying and victims between gender within the three cultures, but it is only valid to compare those two constructs between Egyptian and Saudi boys and girls. The results indicated that Egyptian and Saudi boys/girls had a higher level of bullying than American boys/girls, whereas no differences were displayed among the three cultures on the victimization subscale. Boys had a higher level of bullying than girls in the three cultures, and boys and girls had a similar level of victimization in three cultures.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Albheary, A. A. (2005). School violence: The negative effects, preventive strategies and remedial intervention. In Conference of child and youth in the cities of Middle East and North Africa: Facing for educational challenges, 16–18 May, 2005. Dubai, United Arab Emirate.

  • Austin S., Joseph S. (1996) Assessment of bully/victim problems in 8 to 11 year-olds. British Journal of Educational Psychology 66: 447–456

    Google Scholar 

  • Baldry A. C., Farrington D. P. (2000) Bullies and delinquents: Personal characteristics and parental styles. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology 10: 17–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barrio C., Martin E., Montero I., Gutierrez H., Barrios A., Josede Dios M. (2008) Bullying and social exclusion in Spanish secondary schools: National trends from 1999 to 2006. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology 8(3): 657–677

    Google Scholar 

  • Bentley K. M., Li A. (1995) Bully and victim problems in elementary schools and students’ beliefs about aggression. Canadian journal of School Psychology 11: 153–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berthold K. A., Hoover J. H. (2000) Correlates of bullying and victimization among intermediate students in the Midwestern USA. School Psychology international 21: 65–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Byrne B. M. (1994) Testing for the factorial validity, replication, and invariance of a measuring instrument: A paradigmatic application based on the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Multivariate Behavioral Research 29: 289–311

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chan, H. F. J. (2002) The school life survey—a new instrument for measuring bullying and victimization. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, UK: University of Hull.

  • Chao R. K. (1994) Beyond parental control and authoritarian parenting style: Understanding Chinese parenting through the cultural notion of training. Child Development 65(4): 1111–1119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung G. W., Rensvold R. B. (2002) Evaluating goodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling 9: 233–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke E. A., Kiselica M. S. (1997) A systemic counseling approach to the problem of bullying. Elementary School Guidance and Counseling 31: 310–315

    Google Scholar 

  • Craig W. M., Pepler D. J. (2007) Understanding bullying: From research to practice. Canadian Psychology 48(2): 86–93

    Google Scholar 

  • Cerezo F., Ato M. (2005) Bullying in Spanish and English Pupils: A sociometric perspective using the BULL-S questionnaire. Educational Psychology 25(4): 353–367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crystal S. (1994) Concepts of deviance in children and adolescence: The case of Japan. Deviant Behavior 15(3): 241–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Curran P. J., West S. G, Finch J. F. (1996) The robustness of test statistics to nonnormality and specification error in confirmatory factor analysis. Psychological Methods 1: 16–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dake J. A., Price J. H., Telljohann S. K. (2003) The nature and extent of bullying at school. Journal of School Health 73(5): 173–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeVoe, J. F., Peter, K., Kaufman, P., Miller, A., Noonan, M., Snyder, T.D., & Baum, K. (2004). Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2004(NCES2005- 02/NCJ205290). U.S. Departments of Education and Justice. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

  • Ebrahim M. A. M. (1996) Societal factors leading to violence in some Cairo schools. Social and Educational Studies 2(3,4): 1–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Embry, S. L. (1995). Types of name-calling experienced by second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders and their beliefs about their peers. Dissertation Abstracts International, 56, 3905. (AAT No. 9604759).

  • Eslea M., Menesini E., Morita Y., O’Moore M., Mora-Merchán J. A., Pereira B., Smith P. K. (2003) Friendship and loneliness among bullies and victims: Data from seven countries. Aggressive Behavior 30: 71–83

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gini G. (2004) Bullying in Italian schools: An overview of intervention programmes. School Psychology International 25(1): 106–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glover D., Gough G., Johnson M., Cartwright N. (2000) Bullying in 25 secondary schools: Incidence, impact and intervention. Educational Research 42(2): 141–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Green, J. G. (2007) A Psychometric analysis of the school victimization scale: Cross-cultural equivalence in the United States, Guatemala, and Israel. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of California, Santa Barbara.

  • Gropper N., Froschl M. (2000) The role of gender in young children’s teasing and bullying behavior. Equity & Excellence in Education 33(1): 48–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hancock G. R. (1997) Structural equation modeling methods of hypothesis testing of latent variable means. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development 30: 91–105

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansen K. L., Melhus M., Høgmo A., Lund E. (2008) Ethnic discrimination and bullying in the Sami and non-Sami populations in Norway: The SAMINOR study. International Journal of Circumpolar Health 67(1): 99–115

    Google Scholar 

  • Harter, S. (1985). The self-perception profile for children [Manual]. Unpublished manuscript, University of Denver.

  • Hofstede G. (2001) Culture’s recent consequences: Using dimension scores in theory and research. International Journal of cross cultural management 1(1): 11–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holmberg K., Hjern A. (2008) Bullying and attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder in 10-year-olds in a Swedish community. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology 50: 134–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoover J. H., Oliver R. (1996) The bullying prevention handbook: A guide for principals, teachers and counselors. National Educational Service, Bloomington, IN

    Google Scholar 

  • Jöreskog K. G., Sörbom D. (1993) LISREL 8: User’s reference guide. Scientific Software International, Chicago, IL

    Google Scholar 

  • Khatri P., Kupersmidt J. B. (2003) Aggression, peer victimisation, and social relationships among Indian youth. International Journal of Behavioral Development 27(1): 87–95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klomek A. B., Sourander A., Kumpulainen K., Piha J., Tamminen T., Moilanen I., Almqvist F., Gould M. (2008) Childhood bullying as a risk for later depression and suicidal ideation among Finnish males. Journal of Affective Disorders 109: 47–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumpulainen K., Rasanen E. (2000) Children involved in bullying at elementary school age: Their psychiatric symptoms and deviance in adolescence. An epidemiological sample. Child Abuse & Neglect 24: 1567–1577

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lerner, J. V., & Lerner, R. M. (2001). Adolescence in America, An encyclopedia (Vols. 1 & 2). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.

  • Nabuzoka D. (2003) Experiences of bullying-related behaviors by English and Zambian pupils: A comparative study. Educational Research 45(1): 95–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nansel T. R., Overpeck M., Pilla R. S., Ruan W. J., Simons-Morton B., Scheidt P. (2001) Bullying behaviors among US youth prevalence and association with psychosocial adjustment. JAMA 25: 2094–2100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Natvig G. K., Albrektsen G., Qvarnstrom U. (2001) School-related stress experience as a risk factor for bullying behavior. Journal of Youth Adolescence 30: 561–575

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neary A., Joseph S. (1994) Peer victimization and its relationship to self-concept and depression among schoolgirls. Personality and Individual Differences 16(1): 183–186

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nesdale D., Naito M. (2005) Individualism-collectivism and attitudes to school bullying of Japanese and Australian students. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 36(5): 537–556

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Obrdalj E. Č., Rumboldt M. (2008) Bullying among school children in postwar Bosnia and Herzegovina: Cross-sectional study. Croatian Medican Journal 49: 528–535

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olweus, D. (1983). Bully/victim questionnaire. Unpublished manuscript, Norway: University of Bergen.

  • Olweus D. (1994) Annotation: Bullying at school: Basic facts & effects of a school-based intervention program. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 35: 1171–1190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olweus D. (2003) A profile of bullying. Educational Leadership 60(6): 12–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Pateraki L., Houndoumadi A. (2001) Bullying among primary school children in Athens, Greece. Educational Psychology 21(2): 167–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pellegrini A. D., Barrini M., Brooks F. (1999) School bullies, victims, and aggressive victims: Factors relating to group affiliation and victimization. Journal of Educational Psychology 91: 216–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rigby K, Slee P., Conolly C. (1991) Victims and bullies in school communities. Journal of the Australasian Society of Victimology 1: 25–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Robert C., Lee W. C., Chan K.Y. (2006) An empirical analysis of measurement equivalence with the INDCOL measure of individualism and collectivism: Implications for valid cross-cultural inference. Personnel Psychology 59: 65–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ross D. M. (1996) Childhood bullying and teasing: What school personnel, other professionals, and parents can do. American Counselling Association, Alexandria, VA

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheithauer H., Hayer T., Petermann F., Jugert G. (2006) Physical, verbal, and relational forms of bullying among German students: Age trends, gender differences, and correlates. Aggressive Behavior 32: 261–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seals D., Young J. (2003) Bullying and victimization: Prevalence and relationship to gender, grade level, ethnicity, self-esteem, and depression. Adolescence 38: 735–747

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith P. K., Cowie H., Olafsson R. F., Liefooghe A. P. D. (2002) Definitions of bullying: A comparison of terms used, and age and gender differences, in a fourteen-country international comparison. Child Development 73(4): 1119–1133

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    Google Scholar 

  • Smorti A., Menesini E., Smith P. K. (2003) Parents’ definitions of children’s bullying in a five-country comparison. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 34(4): 417–432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spielhofer T., Benton T., Schagen S. (2004) A study of the effects of school size and single-sex education in English schools. Research Papers in Education 19(2): 133–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steenkamp J.-B. E. M., Baumgartner H. (1998) Assessing measurement invariance in crossnational consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research 25: 78–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tarshis T. P., Huffman L. C. (2007) Psychometric properties of the peer interactions in primary school (PIPS) Questionnaire. Journal of Development & Behavioral Pediatrics 28(2): 125–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vander Wal M. F., de Wit C. A. M., Hirasing R. A. (2003) Psychosocial health among young victims and offenders of direct and indirect bullying. Pediatrics 111(6): 1312–1317

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vandenberg R. J., Lance C. E. (2000) A review and synthesis of the measurements invariance literature: Suggestions, practices, and recommendations for organizational research. Organizational Research Methods 3: 4–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • West S. G., Finch J. F., Curran P. J. (1995) Structural equation models with nonnormal variables: Problems and remedies. In: Hoyle R. H. (eds) Structural equation modeling: Concepts, issues and applications. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA, p 56275

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolke D., Woods S., Stanford K., Schulz H. (2001) Bullying and victimization of primary school children in England and Germany: Prevalence and school factors. British Journal of Psychology 92: 673–696

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Educational Psychology Department, King Khaled University, BO 157, Abha, 61411, Saudi Arabia

    Mohamed Habashy Hussein

Authors
  1. Mohamed Habashy Hussein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohamed Habashy Hussein.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hussein, M.H. The Peer Interaction in Primary School Questionnaire: testing for measurement equivalence and latent mean differences in bullying between gender in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the USA. Soc Psychol Educ 13, 57–76 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-009-9098-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-009-9098-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation