Classroom social network antecedents of relational aggression and victimization for kindergarten children

Abstract

Relational aggression and victimization experiences are prevalent among young children and can compromise their development. Although classroom social network characteristics have been found to predict relational aggression and victimization, few studies have been conducted in early childhood classrooms. This study examined the predictability of individual classroom social network characteristics (centralization, density, transitivity) on relational aggression and relational victimization. The unique contribution of each classroom social network characteristic in predicting relational aggression/victimization was also assessed. The analytical sample involved 647 children from 43 kindergarten classrooms. Results demonstrated that classrooms with higher centralization and lower transitivity tended to have a higher rate of aggression, while relational victimization was only negatively predicted by transitivity. The present study highlighted the importance of classroom social networks as the contextual antecedents of children’s relational aggression and victimization behaviors in kindergarten. Specifically, high transitivity was a protective social network characteristic for relational aggression and victimization beyond network centralization. Peer-based interventions focusing on forming and strengthening friendship cliques may be worth exploring.