Psychological Development and Education ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (2): 264-273.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2026.02.12

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Bullying, Victimization and Prosocial Behavior: A Cross-lagged Panel Study among Chinese Early Adolescents

LI Beilei1, LIN Tong1, LAI Meiyan1,2, CHE Meng1, DENG Linyuan1   

  1. 1. Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875;
    2. Guanlan Campus of Shenzhen Longhua Senior High School Education Group, Shenzhen 518110
  • Published:2026-03-14

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Abstract: This study examined the developmental stability and interrelations of bullying, victimization, and prosocial behavior by employing a three-year cross-lagged panel design among 320 Chinese middle school students. Guided by the developmental cascades model, The findings revealed that: (1) Bullying and victimization were relatively stable over the three years of middle school, with a significant bidirectional association from T2 to T3; (2) Prosocial behavior at T1 and T2 predicted lower bullying and victimization in the following year, while only bullying and victimization at T2 negatively predicted prosocial behavior at T3; (3) Significant gender differences were also observed. Among boys, bullying at T2 negatively predicted prosocial behavior at T3, while among girls, victimization at T2 negatively predicted prosocial behavior at T3. This research offered valuable understanding of the interplay between these positive and negative behaviors and emphasized the significance of fostering prosocial behavior and intervening bullying victimization at early adolescence.

Key words: middle school students, bullying, victimization, prosocial behavior, cross-lagged panel analysis

CLC Number: 

  • B844
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