Self-Efficacy Beliefs Regarding Peer Intervention Scale

Abstract

The Self-efficacy beliefs regarding peer intervention scale is a specialized psychological scale designed to measure an individual’s confidence in their ability to successfully intervene in bullying situations among peers. Developed initially by Kingston (2008) in the context of analyzing bystander behaviors, the instrument assesses various facets of intervention readiness, including perceived social support, perceived risk of retaliation, and belief in the effectiveness of action. This scale is crucial for understanding the psychological mechanisms that motivate or inhibit students from engaging in peer intervention efforts, linking self-efficacy theory directly to social dynamics within school environments.

Keywords

Self-efficacy, Peer Intervention, Bullying, Bystander Behavior, Social Process, School Psychology, Youth Studies, Intervention Confidence.

Authors

Shauna Kingston, Michelle Kane (used and validated the scale in subsequent research).

Purpose

The primary purpose of the scale is to quantitatively assess the level of self-efficacy held by students concerning their capacity to intervene effectively when witnessing instances of peer bullying. It aims to identify the specific cognitive and social beliefs that either facilitate or impede bystander behavior, moving beyond simple observation of behavior to measure the underlying confidence required for proactive engagement. Understanding these efficacy beliefs is fundamental for developing targeted anti-bullying programs that focus on empowering students.

The instrument provides valuable data for researchers and educators seeking to correlate self-efficacy scores with actual intervention rates and participation roles in bullying dynamics. By pinpointing areas where students feel least capable—such as managing retaliation or securing teacher support—interventions can be tailored to address these specific barriers to peer intervention.

Construct

The scale measures the psychological construct of Self-Efficacy, specifically applied to the domain of Peer Intervention in bullying. Drawing heavily on Bandura’s social cognitive theory, the construct defines an individual’s belief in their capacity to execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performance. In this context, the performance is the successful interruption or mitigation of a bullying incident.

The scale operationalizes this construct through items that probe three main dimensions: (1) Outcome Expectancies (belief that intervention matters), (2) Personal Ability (knowing what to do), and (3) Perceived Barriers/Support (fear of retaliation or confidence in teacher/friend support). High scores indicate strong self-efficacy regarding one’s role as an active bystander, suggesting a higher likelihood of future intervention behavior.

Validity

While specific psychometric validation data (e.g., content validity ratios, criterion validity coefficients) were not fully detailed in the source abstract, the scale demonstrates strong face validity and construct validity based on its derivation from established social cognitive theory principles relating to bystander behavior. Kingston’s original M.A. thesis (2008) likely provided initial evidence of content validity through expert review and alignment with the theoretical framework of self-efficacy in social processes.

Subsequent research, such as Kane (2015), utilized the scale to demonstrate predictable relationships between self-efficacy scores and participant roles in bullying, lending support to its predictive and convergent validity. For instance, students with higher scores on this scale are typically less likely to remain passive bystanders and more likely to assume the role of defender, thereby confirming its ability to measure the intended construct effectively.

Reliability

Specific internal consistency coefficients (e.g., Cronbach’s Alpha) for the Self-efficacy beliefs regarding peer intervention scale were not provided in the summarized source material. However, scales derived from rigorous academic theses, such as Kingston (2008), typically undergo standard reliability testing. Researchers using this instrument in later studies (e.g., Kane, 2015) would have reported reliability statistics appropriate for their specific samples, generally aiming for an alpha coefficient of 0.70 or higher to demonstrate acceptable internal consistency across the items measuring the peer intervention construct.

Factor Analysis

Although detailed factor structure information is absent in the source material, a comprehensive scale measuring self-efficacy in a complex social situation like bullying intervention often reveals multiple underlying factors. Potential factors may include: 1) Confidence in Direct Action (ability to know what to do/affect the outcome), 2) Perceived Safety and Support (lack of fear of retaliation, belief in peer/teacher support), and 3) Responsibility/Outcome Expectancy (belief that intervention is necessary and effective). A detailed factor analysis would confirm whether the items cluster into these theoretically distinct sub-dimensions of peer intervention efficacy.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Psychological Scale

Format: 4-point Likert scale (Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree)

Language Available: English (Original research conducted in English-speaking academic contexts)

Population Group: School-aged children and adolescents (Students)

Age Group: Typically utilized with middle school and high school populations (e.g., 10–18 years old), depending on the specific research context.

Population Details: Students participating in school environment studies focused on social dynamics, bullying, and bystander behavior.

Test Methodology: Administered as a paper-and-pencil or online survey. Respondents rate their agreement with statements reflecting their confidence and beliefs about intervening in bullying situations.

Keywords

Confidence, Social Cognition, Retaliation Fear, School Climate, Bystander Intervention, Psychometrics, Adolescent Development.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source.)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not provided in source.)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not provided in source.)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was initially developed in 2008 by Shauna Kingston as part of an M.A. thesis at Brock University. As an academic instrument published within a university repository, it is generally available for non-commercial research and educational use, though users should always cite the original work (Kingston, 2008) and verify specific permissions with the author or institution if commercial use is intended. There is no known associated fee for academic use.

Reference’s

• Kingston, S. (2008). Bullying as a social process; Factors influencing bystander behaviours. Faculty of child and youth studies, Brook University, St Catharines, Ontario. M.A Thesis. https://dr.library.brocku.ca/handle/10464/1413?show=full.
• Kane, Michelle (2015). The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy, Empathy and Personal Responsibility On Bullying Participant Roles. BA Hons in Psychology at Dublin Business School.

The original PDF of Kingston (2008) can be downloaded here: Brock_Kingston_Shauna_2008.pdf. Another source utilizing the instrument is available here: http://esource.dbs.ie/bitstream/handle/10788/2810/ba_kane_michelle_2015.pdf?sequence=1.

Items of the Self-efficacy beliefs regarding peer intervention scale

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

• It is not my business to do anything about bullying
• I can affect whether there is bullying in my class
• I would know what to do to help someone being bullied
• If I try to help a classmate being bullied‚ the bully will turn on me
• If I tell my teacher about bullying s/he will be able to help
• Students who try to stop bullying are usually successful
• My friends support me when I try to stop bullying
• Bullying has been discussed in my class
• Students who try to stop bullying are usually bullied next
• It makes no difference whether students intervene in bullying