Bullying Victimization across Chinese Urban and Rural Adolescents: Measurement Invariance and Network Analysis

Vollständiger Abstract

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ABSTRACT This study aimed to (1) examine measurement invariance of the Delaware Bullying Victimization Scale‐Student (DBVS‐S) between adolescents recruited from one urban and one rural middle school in China and (2) use network analysis to examine item features of the DBVS‐S across samples and identify network differences. A total of 4,527 students were included, comprising 2,074 Chinese urban (44.89% boys and 55.11% girls; M age = 16.42 years, SD = 0.80 years) and 2,453 rural (49.86% boys and 50.14% girls; M age = 16.73 years, SD = 1.02 years) adolescents. Results of multi‐group confirmatory factor analysis showed that bullying victimization achieved partial scalar invariance. Adolescents in the sampled rural school reported higher levels of verbal, physical, and relational bullying victimization than those in the sampled urban school. Results of network analysis revealed that verbal and physical bullying victimization was at the center of the urban sample's network, whereas relational bullying was at the center of the rural sample's network. The findings suggest that the DBVS‐S is valid and reliable for measuring bullying victimization among and across the sampled Chinese urban and rural adolescents, whereas the evidence of partial scalar invariance indicates further adaptation is warranted. Tailored interventions to the unique characteristics of bullying victimization in urban and rural schools are needed.