The Bullying Attribution Scale: An initial examination of factor structure and construct validity

Peer victimization is a serious problem that continues to deserve the attention of researchers. It is a group process in which most children participate, and each participant in this process (e.g., victims, bullies, bystanders) is at risk for maladjustment. It is imperative that we identify the risk factors that perpetuate peer victimization experiences, and understanding how children explain the reasons behind this phenomenon may shed light on why peer victimization is sustained over time. Few quantitative studies, however, have examined the specific reasons children (regardless of victim status) offer for why peer victimization occurs. This study seeks to address this gap in the literature by identifying the factor structure and evaluating the psychometric properties of the Bullying Attribution Scale in a sample of 3rd and 4th grade elementary school students. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 3-factor solution, and factors were labeled Victim Otherness, Victim Sensitivity and Studiousness, and Bully-Victim Conflict. Internal consistency of the factors was good to adequate. Victim Otherness positively predicted self-reported bullying and internalizing symptoms at a single time point, and teacher-reported bullying over time. Bully-Victim Conflict positively predicted peer-reported bullying and negatively predicted peer-reported victimization over time. Several of these longitudinal associations depended on initial levels of self-reported peer victimization. Children identified as victims were more likely to endorse Victim Otherness than children uninvolved in bullying. Few other mean-level differences were found when examining attributions by bully-victim status, suggesting that children are generally at a consensus when ascribing reasons for why peer victimization occurs.