Latent Bullying Victim Profiles Derived from Child and Teacher Reports: Differential Associations with Psychological and Social Functioning

A major challenge in addressing childhood bullying victimization is the accurate identification of bullied youth, as researchers often rely on multiple report sources (e.g., self-reports and teacher reports) that can offer conflicting accounts. This study used latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify distinct groups of children based on patterns of self- and teacher-reported bullying victimization. Also examined was whether profile membership was concurrently associated with sociodemographic characteristics and measures of psychosocial functioning. Finally, this study examined whether profile membership predicted changes in psychosocial functioning over time. Participants were 482 third- and fourth-grade students and their teachers. LPA revealed three concordant groups (nonvictims, victims with high self- and moderate teacher-reported victimization, and victims with moderate self- and teacher-reported victimization) and one discordant group (self-identified victims). Both concordant and self-identified victims reported greater concurrent and later maladjustment compared to nonvictims. Teachers’ perceptions of victimization, externalizing behaviors, and student-teacher relationships remained stable throughout the school year. Teachers rated concordant victims as displaying more externalizing behavior and having more negative interactions compared to nonvictims and self-identified victims. Notably, self-identified victims were just as vulnerable to adjustment problems as concordant victims, despite lacking corroboration from teachers regarding their bullying victimization experiences. These findings highlight the importance of giving weight to self-reports in identifying bullied children, as this is a vulnerable group of youth who might not be identified when relying on teacher-report or multi-informant concordance.