TY - JOUR
T1 - Reciprocated Friendship as a Mediator of the Effects of Cooperative Learning on Peer Victimization in Middle School
AU - Van Ryzin, Mark J.
AU - Roseth, Cary J.
AU - Low, Sabina
AU - Loan, Christopher M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism [AA024275].
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Peer victimization represents a pervasive problem, particularly for students in middle school. Although curriculum-based prevention programs have generated small to moderate effects on victimization, these effects tend to weaken beginning with the transition to middle school. In this study, we evaluated cooperative learning (CL) as a mechanism to prevent victimization, and evaluated reciprocated friendships as a mediator of these effects. Using four waves of data from a cluster randomized trial of CL (7 intervention and 8 control middle schools; N = 1,890 students, 47.1% female, 75.2% White), we found that CL significantly reduced victimization after two years, and these effects were mediated by growth in the ratio of reciprocated friendship in the first year. We conclude that CL can reduce victimization by providing a means for students to engage in extended social interactions with a wider range of peers and thus creating opportunities for students to forge stronger (i.e., reciprocated) friendships.
AB - Peer victimization represents a pervasive problem, particularly for students in middle school. Although curriculum-based prevention programs have generated small to moderate effects on victimization, these effects tend to weaken beginning with the transition to middle school. In this study, we evaluated cooperative learning (CL) as a mechanism to prevent victimization, and evaluated reciprocated friendships as a mediator of these effects. Using four waves of data from a cluster randomized trial of CL (7 intervention and 8 control middle schools; N = 1,890 students, 47.1% female, 75.2% White), we found that CL significantly reduced victimization after two years, and these effects were mediated by growth in the ratio of reciprocated friendship in the first year. We conclude that CL can reduce victimization by providing a means for students to engage in extended social interactions with a wider range of peers and thus creating opportunities for students to forge stronger (i.e., reciprocated) friendships.
KW - Victimization
KW - cooperative learning
KW - middle school
KW - mutual friendship
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U2 - 10.1080/15388220.2022.2098502
DO - 10.1080/15388220.2022.2098502
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85133622789
SN - 1538-8220
VL - 21
SP - 342
EP - 353
JO - Journal of School Violence
JF - Journal of School Violence
IS - 3
ER -