COPING WITH PEER ARGUMENTS IN SCHOOL-AGE-CHILDREN WITH BULLY VICTIM PROBLEMS/

Background and aims. This paper reports data on the relationship betwe en bully/victim problems and the coping strategies used when confronte d with a peer argument. Specifically, we examine the extent to which b ully/victim problems are related to five types of coping strategies (S ocial Support Seeking, Problem-Solving, Distancing, Internalising and Externalising). Sample. The sample consists of 329 children (168 boys, 161 girls), drawn from the fourth- through sixth-grade classrooms of three Flemish elementary schools. Results and conclusion. In the corre lational analyses, both victimisation and social neglect are shown to be related to internalising coping, whereas bullying is associated wit h externalising coping and with a lack of problem-solving. Moreover, a positive relationship between victimisation and social support seekin g was found. Separate analyses for boys and girls and a consecutive ca tegorical approach provide a more precise picture of the link between social coping strategies and bully/victim problems.