Relational aggression and youth empowerment within a high school instrumental music program

Abstract

Peer group effects of relational victimization and empowerment among high school instrumental music students were examined using a cross-sectional design. We evaluated the homophily hypothesis that states peer group membership influences individual-level relational aggression and feelings of empowerment. Peer groups were identified using social network analysis, suggesting that participation in marching band significantly impacts feelings of empowerment reducing self-reported relational victimization, even after controlling for gender, caring behaviors, and positive attitudes toward bullying. The impact of peer group membership suggests that future studies consider peer relations across whole school populations and subtypes of aggression.