How Students (Dis)like Victimized Classmates: A Longitudinal Network Analysis

Research shows victims have lower peer status, but whether bullying participants differ in (dis)liking them and if classroom context matters remains unclear. Early adolescents (N = 751) were assessed twice over six months for (dis)liking and reputational nominations on physical bullying, defending, and victimization. SAOMs showed that victims did not experience a decline in being liked or an increase in being disliked over six months and almost no differences in how bullies, victims, and defenders (dis)liked (other) victims were found, except that victims developed disliking toward other victims over time. Despite assumptions of the healthy context paradox, classroom victimization did not moderate (dis)liking toward victims. Overall, the (dis)liking was stable and largely consistent across bullying participants and classroom contexts, though concerning dislike emerged among victims.