2024. Understanding Children and Adolescents' Experiences Being Bullied: A Mixed-Methods
Study
2024
SNODGRASS, M. A., SMITH, S. L., & GREGUS, S. (2024). UNDERSTANDING CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS’
EXPERIENCES BEING BULLIED: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY. TRENDS IN PSYCHOLOGY.
Bullying is a common experience among youth around the world, but is not commonly
thought of as a traumatic event. However, previous research suggests the outcomes
and symptoms children and adolescents experience after bullying parallels those experienced
after a traumatic event. This mixed-methods study aimed to explore adolescents’ experiences
being bullied and the consequences experienced following being bullied. Contextual
factors were explored to understand under which circumstances participants endorsed
symptoms consistent with trauma. Ten adolescents (Mage=12.5 years, 50% boys, 90% White)
who reported being bullied at least “sometimes” over a period of “weeks” or more,
per a single parent report, in the past year agreed to complete surveys and a semi-structured
interview about their bullying experiences. Thematic analysis revealed six themes
related to consequences of bullying experiences: Emotional Distress, Avoidance of
School Settings, Somatic Complaints, Importance of Social Support, Disruptions within
Peer Groups, and Impaired School Performance. Nine participants endorsed at least
one posttraumatic stress symptom and three participants endorsed clinical levels of
PTSD qualitatively. Contextual factors associated with endorsing posttraumatic stress
symptoms in this study were gender, duration and frequency of bullying, age and number
of perpetrators, and seriousness of bullying. Results from this study suggest that
consequences of bullying vary between victims and that while some participants reported
consequences consistent with PTSD, other participants’ consequences seem to parallels
other depressive or anxiety disorders. These results have implications for future
research and interventions for working with youth who have experienced repeated bullying.
2023. Supporting the Chronically Bullied Child: A Competency-Based Framework For Elementary
School Teachers
2023
GREGUS, S., SMITH, S. L., & CAVELL, T. A. (2023). SUPPORTING THE CHRONICALLY BULLIED
CHILD: A COMPETENCY-BASED FRAMEWORK FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS. JOURNAL OF SCHOOL
VIOLENCE, 1–15.
Described is an effort to develop and gather feedback on a competency-based framework
designed to assist elementary school teachers in their support of children who are
chronically bullied. Drawing from extant research, we identified 25 potential competencies
to construct a guiding framework organized by knowledge, attitudes, and skills. In
Study 1, we gathered feedback on the clarity, comprehensiveness, and usability of
the framework from focus groups of elementary school teachers (N = 26). In Study 2,
we gathered feedback from subject-matter experts who study school bullying (N = 14)
to assess the degree to which identified competencies reflected the current state
of the science. Both teachers and experts viewed the framework positively and agreed
it offers a potentially useful guide for practicing teachers. Feedback was also used
to refine the competency framework. Discussed are the potential implications this
framework has for school staff seeking to support persistently bullied children.
2021. Parenting and Children’s Psychology Adjustment During the COVID-19 Pandemic2021
GREGUS, S.J., HERNANDEZ RODRIGUEZ, J., FAITH, M.A. & FAILES, E. (2021). PARENTING
AND CHILDREN’S PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY
REVIEW.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) has greatly impacted parents of school-age children. The
current study used correlational/descriptive methods to explore COVID-19 impacts on
parenting behaviors and children’s adjustment to the pandemic. Participants were 595
United States parents (69.2% non-Latinx White, 12.1% Black/African American) recruited
from Amazon Mechanical Turk in May 2020. Overall, parents of color, parents with lower
income, and parents of elementary school children reported a greater number of negative
COVID-19 impacts. Parents who encouraged hygienic behaviors and promoted children’s
social connection reported their children engaged in more virus safety behaviors and
experienced less virus-related impairment. Parents who limited children’s access to
COVID-19 information reported their children demonstrated more fear, impairment, and
safety behaviors. Positive parenting predicted fewer negative COVID-19 family functioning
impacts, whereas parents’ inconsistent discipline was related to greater negative
COVID-19 family impacts. Findings suggest clear demographic trends and links between
parents’ COVID-19 responses and children’s adjustment. Recommendations for how practitioners
and schools can support parents during the pandemic are provided.
2020. Toward Evidence-Based Interventions for Chronically Bullied Children: Candidate
Mechanisms and Potential Strategies2020
GREGUS, S.J., CRAIG, J.T., & CAVELL, T.A. (2020). TOWARD EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTIONS
FOR CHRONICALLY BULLIED CHILDREN: CANDIDATE MECHANISMS AND POTENTIAL STRATEGIES. EVIDENCE-BASED
PRACTICE IN CHILD & ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH.
Current anti-bullying interventions are designed to reduce the overall prevalence
of bullying and victimization. Systematic reviews document the efficacy of these programs,
but emerging evidence suggests that chronically bullied children are less likely to
benefit and possibly experience increased problems following program implementation.
Recent investigations into processes contributing to chronic peer victimization help
explain the limited impact of anti-bullying programs. We drew from that literature
to offer a working model of the plight of chronic victims. This framework emphasizes
social exclusion as a pivotal pathway to peers’ moral disengagement and involvement
in what Thornberg (2015a) calls the collective action of bullying. We propose that
chronic victims of school bullying require intervention strategies that can counter
the prevailing narrative of social exclusion. We suggest effective interventions will
be those that target the following candidate mechanisms: a) quality contact between
chronic victims and peers, b) contingencies that govern social exclusion of chronic
victims, and c) contingencies that govern social bids by chronic victims. We present
five existing school-based interventions that have the potential to alter one or more
of these mechanisms: Social Skills Training with Peer Group Experiences; The Good
Behavior Game, Making Socially Accepting Inclusive Classrooms, Cooperative Learning
and Lunch Buddy mentoring. We highlight features shared by these interventions and
discuss implications for future research.
2020. Liked by Peers or Liked by Teachers: Differential Patterns of Bullying Over
Time2020
MAPES, A.R., SOURK, M.J., MUTINAGI, L.M., HERNANDEZ RODRIGUEZ, J., PASTRANA, F.A.,
GREGUS, S.J., CRAIG, J.T., & CAVELL, T.A. (2020). LIKED BY PEERS OR LIKED BY TEACHERS:
DIFFERENTIAL PATTERNS OF BULLYING OVER TIME. JOURNAL OF SCHOOL VIOLENCE.
We examined the tendency for high status children to bully their classmates. Children
liked by peers only (LPO), liked by teachers only (LTO), liked by both (Both), liked
by neither (Neither), and children with average peer and teacher liking (Average)
were compared on self-, teacher-, and peer-reported bullying. Participants were 676
fourth-grade children (50.7% girls). Children in the Neither group evinced the highest
level of bullying, which increased significantly from fall to spring. We found little
evidence that children in the Both group differed from other groups or that their
bullying increased over time. Self-reported physical bullying increased for boys in
the LPO and Average groups and for girls in the LTO and Neither groups. Gender-specific
findings have implications for researchers and practitioners.
2019. Anxiety Sensitivity and Children’s Risk for Both Internalizing Problems and
Peer Victimization Experiences2019
HERNANDEZ RODRIGUEZ, J., GREGUS, S.J., CRAIG, J.T., PASTRANA, F.A., CAVELL, T.A. (2019).
ANXIETY SENSITIVITY AND CHILDREN’S RISK FOR BOTH INTERNALIZING PROBLEMS AND PEER VICTIMIZATION
EXPERIENCES. CHILD PSYCHIATRY AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT.
In this study, we examined the degree to which children's level of anxiety sensitivity
(AS) was a precursor to both internalizing problems and peer victimization experiences.
Participants were 581 fourth-grade children (M age = 9.31; 51.8% girls; 42.3% Hispanic/Latinx)
and their teachers. Measures of AS, internalizing problems, and peer victimization
were collected across a single academic year (Fall, Spring). Structural equation modeling
and logistic regression analyses indicated AS predicted future internalizing symptoms
as well as self- and teacher-reports of peer victimization. Also, children with heightened
AS were 2.70 times more likely to reach elevated levels of self-rated peer victimization
and 11.53 times more likely to have clinically elevated internalizing problems. This
is the first study to examine prospectively the link between AS and children's peer
victimization experiences. We discuss implications of the findings for developing
preventative interventions for children at risk for peer victimization and internalizing
difficulties.
2019. Student Perceptions of Multicultural Training and Program Climate in Clinical
Psychology Doctoral Programs2019
GREGUS, S.J., STEVENS, K.T., & SEIVERT, N.P., TUCKER, R.P., & CALLAHAN, J.L. (2019).
STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF MULTICULTURAL TRAINING AND PROGRAM CLIMATE IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
DOCTORAL PROGRAMS. TRAINING AND EDUCATION IN PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY.
The current investigation assessed clinical psychology doctoral student perceptions
of their program’s multicultural training and program climate regarding multiculturalism.
The study employed an online mixed-methods, cross-sectional design, with graduate
student participants from American Psychological Association (APA)-accredited clinical
psychology programs across the United States. Participants (N = 397) completed self-report
quantitative and qualitative measures of perceptions of their program’s multicultural
training and program climate regarding multiculturalism. Results demonstrated that
perceptions differed by important demographics (e.g., lower perceptions of multicultural
training and program climate among self-identified Black students compared with non-Hispanic
White students) and program characteristics (e.g., higher scores in those aware of
a program-specific diversity committee). Qualitative data indicated important areas
of growth for their programs, including integrating diversity training throughout
the curriculum, recruiting and retaining underrepresented students and faculty, expanding
experiential opportunities to gain exposure to multiculturalism, and reducing the
variability among faculty in their responsiveness and willingness to address student
concerns regarding multiculturalism.
2018. Program-Specific Practices and Outcomes for High School Mentors and Their Mentees2018
CAVELL, T.A., GREGUS, S.J., CRAIG, J.T., PASTRANA, F.A., & HERNANDEZ RODRIGUEZ, J.
(2018). PROGRAM-SPECIFIC PRACTICES AND OUTCOMES FOR HIGH SCHOOL MENTORS AND THEIR
MENTEES. CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW, 89, 309-318.
We conducted secondary analyses of program evaluation data involving six high school
(HS) mentoring programs. All programs used one-on-one matches but differed in a) how
mentors were recruited (voluntary vs. mandated due to class requirement), b) how mentees
were referred (individual student referral vs. whole class participation), and c)
the goals of mentoring (e.g., improved peer relationships, academic achievement).
Variability in program practices suggested three program types or clusters: voluntary
mentor/individual student referral/limited goals (Vol/Ind/Ltd), voluntary mentor/whole
class referral/peer relationship goals (Vol/Whl/Per), and mandatory mentor/whole class
referral/academic achievement goals (Mnd/Whl/Acd). Child, mentor, and teacher data
collected pre- and post-mentoring were available for 253 mentor-mentee matches. Results
revealed significant differences for mentees across program types: Children matched
with HS mentors in Vol/Ind/Ltd and Mnd/Whl/Acd programs had similar outcomes and fared
significantly better than mentees in Vol/Whl/Per programs. For mentors, those in mandatory
mentoring programs (Mnd/Whl/Acd) reported significantly lower levels of academic,
community, and diversity engagement compared to HS mentors in voluntary programs.
Discussed are the implications these findings have for program practices involving
HS mentors.
2018. Identifying Children Repeatedly Victimized by Peers: A Preliminary Study2018
PASTRANA, F.A, CRAIG, J.T., GREGUS, S.J., BRIDGES, A.J., HERNANDEZ RODRIGUEZ, J.,
& CAVELL, T.A. (2018). IDENTIFYING CHILDREN REPEATEDLY VICTIMIZED BY PEERS: A PRELIMINARY
STUDY. JOURNAL OF SCHOOL VIOLENCE, 18 (2), 259-271.
Repeated victims of school bullying are at risk for maladjustment and could potentially
benefit from selective intervention. However, selective intervention requires a practical
method for accurately identifying members of the targeted group. We examined the extent
to which the global victimization item from the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire
accurately identified children repeatedly victimized by peers. From a sample of 654
fourth-graders, we categorized 63 (9.7%) as repeated victims based on elevated reports
of victimization from the same informant (self, teacher, peer) across two time points
within an academic year. Logistic regression and ROC curve analyses examined the predictive
utility of the recommended global item cutoff and more stringent cutoffs. Results
indicated that the global victimization item offered limited utility as a means of
identifying children categorized as repeated victims. We discuss possible reasons
for the findings and potential implications for future research and practice.
2017. Teacher Self-Efficacy and Intentions to Use Recommended Anti-Bullying Practices
as Predictors of Children’s Peer Victimization2017
GREGUS, S.J., HERNANDEZ RODRIGUEZ, J., PASTRANA, F.A., CRAIG, J.T., MCQUILLIN, S.D.
& CAVELL, T.A. (2017). TEACHER SELF-EFFICACY AND INTENTIONS TO USE RECOMMENDED ANTI-BULLYING
PRACTICES AS PREDICTORS OF CHILDREN’S PEER VICTIMIZATION. SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW.
Teachers are key players in efforts to address school bullying and peer victimization.
Recent studies found that teachers' responses to peer victimization can vary based
on their beliefs and attitudes. We examined relations among teacher self-efficacy,
teachers' intentions to use recommended antibullying practices, and peer victimization
as rated by teachers and students. In Study 1 (N = 79), we examined the internal structure,
reliability, and initial validity of the Teacher Efficacy for Antibullying Scale (TEAS),
a new measure of teachers' self-efficacy regarding school bullying and peer victimization.
In Study 2, we used data from elementary school teachers (N = 34) and their students
(N = 654) to test whether the interaction between teacher self-efficacy and intentions
to use recommended antibullying practices predicted children's peer victimization.
We also tested whether the relation between teacher self-efficacy and children's peer
victimization was curvilinear. Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), we found
support for a curvilinear relation between teacher self-efficacy and children's peer
victimization that was moderated by teachers' intentions to use antibullying practices;
except in classrooms where teachers held very strong intentions to use best practices,
children's peer victimization was greater in classrooms where teachers reported either
very low or very high self-efficacy relative to classrooms where teachers had more
moderate levels of self-efficacy. Discussed are the research and practice implications
of these findings for teacher-based antibullying training and intervention.
2017. Doctoral Training in Integrated Behavioral Health Care: Dipping a Toe or Diving
In2017
BRIDGES, A.J., CAVELL, T.A., OJEDA, C., GREGUS, S.J., & GOMEZ, D. (2017). DOCTORAL
TRAINING IN INTEGRATED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE: DIPPING A TOE OR DIVING IN. THE BEHAVIOR
THERAPIST, 40 (5), 169-179.
The goal in writing this paper was to help training faculty move forward on an issue
that appears to be increasingly important for students they are currently training
and will be training in the future. Authors have argued that to compete in the changing
climate of U.S. health care, psychologists must be health service providers whose
work is not limited to mental health specialization. Nowhere is this more evident
than in the recent funding for and increased focus on psychologists’ role within integrated
behavioral health care. Doctoral training faculty can survive being “late adopters”
in the IBHC marketplace, but their students will be aided and grateful for training
that prepares them for newer roles in health service delivery. Doctoral psychology
training programs will vary in their eagerness to incorporate IBHC-related training
activities, but even programs ready to add some level of IBHC training might lack
useful information to begin a shift in that direction. Offered here is a conceptual
framework that can be used to guide programs considering a shift, however slight,
toward IBHC training. Described are potential pathways that programs can use when
making minimal, moderate, or major investments in IBHC training. At each level of
investment, programs have a range of options across key program domains and can even
stagger newer training efforts across these domains. (PsycInfo Database Record (c)
2020 APA, all rights reserved)
2017. Need, Access, and the Reach of Integrated Care: A Typology of Patients2017
BRIDGES, A.J., VILLALOBOS, B.T., ANASTASIA, E.A., DUEWEKE, A.R., GREGUS, S.J., CAVELL,
T.A. (2017). NEED, ACCESS, AND THE REACH OF INTEGRATED CARE: A TYPOLOGY OF PATIENTS.
FAMILIES, SYSTEMS, AND HEALTH, 35 (2), 193-206.
This paper is a report on a study exploring a potential typology of primary care patients
referred for integrated behavioral health care (IBHC) services. We considered whether
primary care patients could be grouped into meaningful clusters based on perceived
need for behavioral health services, barriers to accessing care, and past-year service
utilization. We also described the development of a working partnership between our
university-based research team and a federally qualified health center (FQHC). Method:
A total of 105 adult primary care patients referred for same-day behavioral health
appointments completed a brief self-report questionnaire assessing past-year behavioral
health concerns, service utilization, and perceived barriers to utilization. Results:
Hierarchical and k-means cluster analyses revealed 3 groups: (a) Well-Served patients,
characterized by high perceived need for services, high service use, and low barriers
to service use (40%); (b) Underserved patients, characterized by high perceived need,
low service utilization, and high barriers to service use (20%); and (c) Subclinical
patients, characterized by low perceived need, low service use, and low barriers to
service use (20%). Clusters were reliably differentiated by age, primary language,
insurance status, and global functioning. Discussion: We found primary care patients
could be grouped into 3 categories and that 60% (Underserved and Subclinical) represented
groups less commonly seen in traditional mental health (MH) settings. IBHC may be
a promising approach for extending the reach of MH care, and partnerships between
FQHCs and university-based research teams may be a promising approach for conducting
research on the IBHC service-delivery model. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA,
all rights reserved)