This study explores classroom differences in social status norms by identifying profiles based on aggressive and prosocial popularity norms, likability norms, and rejection norms, analyzing the differences among profiles in classroom-level bullying, victimization, bullying reinforcement, defending, and students’ social goals. Latent profile analysis of 328 classrooms comprising 6,395 students ( M age = 13.43, SD age = 0.64) revealed five profiles: Prosocial, Low Norms, Mixed Popularity, Aggression-Favoring, and Aggression-Tolerant. The Low Norms profile showed the lowest levels of bullying and victimization, while the Aggression-Favoring profile displayed somewhat higher bullying and popularity goals. The Prosocial profile tended to show higher defending and lower bullying reinforcement. No differences were found for classroom-level likability goals. Overall, the profiles reflected subtle yet meaningful variations in classroom social status norms. The results have practical implications for designing targeted, classroom-level interventions that address the full range of social status norms and promote prosocial behavior as a valued path to social acceptance and recognition.
Košir et al. (Tue,) studied this question.