Prosocial behavior in children involved in peer violence

Abstract Objective: Peer violence is a serious type of school violence that is associated with emotional and behavioral problems. The objective of this study was to analyze violence between peers and its associations with students’ social skills. Methods: We used a cross-sectional survey nested within a cluster-randomized controlled trial (REBEC/Brazil, U1111-1228-2342) to evaluate peer violence among elementary school students and its association with prosocial behaviors and mental problems. Teachers answered an adapted version of the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ) and the Brazilian adaptation of the Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation-Checklist (TOCA-C) scale for each student. Children completed a sociodemographic questionnaire. The participants were 1,152 5-to-14-year-old children from Brazilian public schools, 79.70% of whom reported being involved in violent situations. Results: Children who had both committed and suffered violence were less likely to exhibit prosocial behaviors. Children who committed and suffered violence and those who only committed violence were more likely to experience concentration problems and exhibit disruptive behaviors. Conclusion: This study suggests that peer violence is associated with fewer prosocial behaviors and more behavioral problems. Thus, more specialized mental health care is required for children involved in peer violence, in addition to implementation and maintenance of programs to prevent and reduce violence and develop prosocial behaviors in schools.