Self-concept and peer victimization among schoolchildren

The identification of children who are bullied at school is an issue of concern for developmental social psychologists. The aim of the present study was to replicate previous work in order to confirm the internal reliability and convergent validity of the Peer Victimization Scale. This is a 6-item scale which can be immersed within the Self-Perception Profile for Children thus reducing the saliency of the items and therefore minimising the effects of social desirability. For boys and girls, higher scores on the Peer Victimization Scale were associated with self- and peer-reports of victimization as well as with lower global self-worth, poorer perceptions of competence in a variety of domains, and greater depressive symptomatology.