Peer aggression is a serious problem faced by many children and adolescents, and it can have a significant impact on their mental health and well–being. To help address this issue, researchers have developed the Peer Aggression Coping Self–Efficacy Scale (PA–CSES). This scale is designed to measure an individual‘s self–efficacy in dealing with peer aggression, which is defined as the ability to manage and respond to aggressive peers. The PA–CSES consists of 12 items that measure an individual‘s perceived self–efficacy in dealing with peer aggression. These items are divided into three subscales: assertive coping, avoidance coping, and problem–solving. The assertive coping subscale measures an individual‘s perceived self–efficacy in responding to aggression in an assertive manner, such as standing up for oneself and expressing one‘s feelings. The avoidance coping subscale measures an individual‘s perceived self–efficacy in avoiding aggressive peers, such as walking away from a situation and seeking help from adults. Finally, the problem–solving subscale measures an individual‘s perceived self–efficacy in solving conflicts with aggressive peers, such as discussing the problem and finding a compromise. The PA–CSES has been found to be a reliable and valid measure of an individual‘s self–efficacy in dealing with peer aggression. Studies have found that higher scores on the PA–CSES are associated with better coping with peer aggression and higher levels of psychological well–being. Furthermore, the PA–CSES has been found to be a useful tool for assessing an individual‘s self–efficacy in dealing with peer aggression and for providing interventions to improve coping skills. Overall, the PA–CSES is a valuable tool for assessing an individual‘s self–efficacy in dealing with peer aggression. It is a reliable and valid measure that can be used to assess an individual‘s perceived self–efficacy in responding to aggression in an assertive manner, avoiding aggressive peers, and solving conflicts with aggressive peers. Furthermore, it can provide valuable insights into an individual‘s coping skills and help to identify areas for intervention.
I. Self-Efficacy for Proactive Behavior
How well can you . . .
1. Ask a friend for advice
2. Talk to someone about how it made you feel
3. Get help from a friend
4. Get help from a family member
5. Try and think of different ways to fix it
6. Ask a family member for advice
7. Give the kid picking on you an “I” message (e.g.‚ I don’t like you doing that)
8. Try extra hard to keep it from happening again
9. In a clear and strong voice tell them that you don’t like what they are doing
10.Talk to the teacher about it
11.Change something about yourself so you can deal with the situation better
12.Make a plan to get along with the kid who was picking on you
13.Say something to stick up for yourself
14.In a calm and pleasant manner‚ tell the kid to stop
15.Take some time to cool off before responding
II. 2. Self-Efficacy for Avoiding Aggressive Behavior
How well can you . . .
1. Stop yourself from swearing out loud
2. Avoid getting mad and throwing or hitting something
3. Avoid thinking about getting even with the kid
4. Stay calm and avoid wanting to hurt the kid in some way
5. Avoid yelling to let off steam
6. Forgive and forget them picking on you
7. Avoid holding a grudge against them
8. Forgive them even if they have hurt you
9. Keep from imagining bad things happened to the kid
10.Stay calm and avoid asking a friend to help you get back at the kid
11.Stop yourself from taking it out on others because you feel sad or angry
III. Self-Efficacy for Avoiding Self-Blame
How well can you . . .
1. Keep from thinking‚ I get picked on because I’m different
2. Keep from thinking‚ I get picked on because I’m not as good as them
3. Avoid thinking‚ I get picked on because of the way I look
4. Avoid thinking‚ I am the one to blame for this
5. Keep from thinking‚ it only happens to me
6. Avoid thinking‚ I am the one responsible for what happened
7. Keep from thinking‚ why do they only pick on me?
8. Stop thinking‚ they do this to me because I won’t cause trouble
9. Avoid thinking‚ there must be something about me that makes them pick on me
10.Avoid thinking‚ they do this to me because I don’t fight back
IV. 4. Self-Efficacy for Victim-Role Disengagement
How well can you . . .
1. Keep from taking it personally by thinking I don’t care what they think anyway
2. Avoid taking it personally by thinking what they say or do doesn’t matter to me
3. Stop yourself from taking it personally by thinking‚ it’s not about me it’s their own stuff
4. Avoid taking it personally by thinking it doesn’t bother me because I have other friends
5. Stop yourself from taking it personally by thinking‚ it doesn’t matter‚ I know I am good at lots of other things
6. Stop yourself from worrying about other people thinking badly about you
7. Stop yourself from worrying too much about it
8. Stop yourself from taking it personally by thinking‚ I don’t value their opinion
Self-efficacy for proactive behaviour‚ self-efficacy for avoiding aggressive behaviour‚ self-efficacy for avoiding self-blame‚ and self-efficacy for victim-role disengagement.
1=Not well at all‚ to 7= Very Well
This instrument can be found at: Simmons C. A.‚ Lehmann P. (eds). Tools for strengths-based assessment and evaluation‚ New York‚ NY: Springer‚ pp. 490-493. (2013). Google Scholar
Singh‚ P.‚ & Bussey‚ K. (2009). The development of a Peer Aggression Coping Self-Efficacy Scale for adolescents. British Journal of Developmental Psychology‚ 27(4)‚ 971–992.
Singh‚ P.‚ & Bussey‚ K. (2011). Peer Victimization and Psychological Maladjustment: The Mediating Role of Coping Self-Efficacy. Journal of Research on Adolescence‚ 21(2)‚ 420–433
Singh & Bussey‚ (2009). Peer Aggression Coping Self-Efficacy Scale. In: Simmons C. A.‚ Lehmann P. (eds). Tools for strengths-based assessment and evaluation‚ New York‚ NY: Springer‚ pp. 490- 493. (2013). Google Scholar