The validity and reliability of the Peer Aggression and Reactive Behavior Questionnaire (PARB-Q) – Chinese version

Effective identification and intervention of peer aggression (PA) among school-aged children require culturally appropriate assessment tools. This study aims to validate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Peer Aggression and Reactive Behavior Questionnaire (PARB-QC), a self-report instrument assessing PA and reactions to PA among Chinese school-aged children. A total of 758 students aged 11–15 years from Anhui Province, China, participated in this cross-sectional study. The sample was randomly split into two subsamples for exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 379) and confirmatory factor analysis (n = 379) to assess the factor structure and model fit. Results confirmed a one-factor structure for the PA Scale and a three-factor structure for the Reaction to PA Scale (Reactive Aggression, Seeking Teacher Support and Internalizing Reaction), consistent with the original Brazilian version. Both scales demonstrated good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.79–0.86) and confirmatory factor analysis indicated good model fit indices. Gender differences were minimal across scales, with females scoring significantly higher only on internalizing reactions. The PARB-QC demonstrates adequate psychometric properties and provides a culturally appropriate, reliable tool for assessing PA behaviors among Chinese school-aged children.