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Prevention science : the official journal of the Society for Prevention Research
Jan, 2025;26 (1): 43-55.

Promoting Positive Leadership: Examining the Long-Term Dynamics of Anti-Bullying Programs.

Zhe Dong, Gijs Huitsing, Ren�� Veenstra
Author Information
  1. Zhe Dong: Department of Sociology and Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. z.dong@rug.nl. ORCID
  2. Gijs Huitsing: Department of Sociology and Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
  3. Ren�� Veenstra: Department of Sociology and Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
PMID: 39777637 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-024-01762-y

Abstract

Anti-bullying programs can create more positive classroom environments by fostering the development of positive leaders who establish constructive norms. The social identity theory of leadership addresses stability and change within different leader profiles and identifies leader group prototypicality: the extent to which leaders are perceived to embody the group identity, including standards, values, and norms. This study focuses on two key areas: (1) examining stability and change within positive and negative leader profiles, and (2) comparing transition probabilities between the KiVa anti-bullying intervention condition and a control condition. A sample of 6,629 children (2057 in the control condition and 4572 in the intervention condition) were followed from age 9 to age 11 in three waves of data collection. At each wave, latent profile analysis was used to identify two distinct leader profiles and three non-leader profiles based on peer nominations that included leadership, popularity, and both positive (defending) and negative (bullying) behavior. These profiles included (a) positive leaders, (b) negative leaders, (c) defenders, (d) bullies, and (e) modal children. Latent transition analysis for the full sample revealed more changing roles for negative leaders compared with positive leaders. In the intervention condition, negative leaders were more likely to make the transition to positive leaders than to bullies. This study shows that, in late childhood, positive leaders are perceived as more representative of the group leader prototypicality than negative leaders. These findings enhance understanding of leader profile evolution and may inform tailored leadership interventions.

Keywords

Anti-bullying intervention Latent transition analysis Leader group prototypicality Leadership

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Grants

  1. ODB10025/the Dutch Ministry of Education
  2. 202108110066/Chinese Scholarship Council

MeSH Term

Leadership
Humans
Bullying
Child
Male
Female
Journal Article

Word Cloud

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