The role of students' strengths in the experience and effects of bullying on peer relationships, academic achievement, and behavioural and emotional functioning

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of strengths in youth as they are related to psychosocial outcomes, particularly in the context of bullying experiences. An understanding of the roles of both overall strengths and specific strength subdomains was desired. This study also sought to provide support for the validity of the Strengths Assessment Inventory. Participants were 263 students (112 males) recruited from grade 7 and 8 classes. Participants completed a brief demographic questionnaire, a modified version the Children's Social Desirability Scale, the Revised Olweus Bully-Victim Questionnaire, the Strengths Assessment Inventory, the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale, the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment - Youth Self-Report, and the Friendship Quality Questionnaire. Academic achievement data was collected from report card grades. Results indicated that both overall strengths and specific constellations of strengths predicted psychosocial functioning.