The role of masculinity in children\ue2\u20ac\u2122s bullying

The aim of the present study was to explore the association between gender role, in terms of self-attribution of masculine and feminine characteristics, and children\u2019s involvement in bullying problems during the elementaryschool years. A total of 113, six- to ten-year-old children completed self-reportmeasures of bullying and victimization and a masculinity\u2013femininity scale. Their teachers provided ratings of pupils\u2019 reactive and proactive aggressive behavior. Data from a hierarchical regression on bullying scores showed that, irrespective of sex, masculine traits predicted active bullying behavior. Moreover, bullying was also related to victimization and to teacher\u2019s evaluation of reactive aggression. Our findings suggest the need for longitudinal and cross-cultural studies in this line of research