How affective relationships and classroom norms shape perceptions of aggressor, victim, and defender roles
Lintner, T., Klocek, A., Ropovik, I., Kollerová, L. (2025)
A study published in the prestigious journal Aggressive Behavior examines whether so-called peer nominations—a method used to identify social roles in the context of aggressive behavior—can be influenced by interpersonal relationships among classmates. The authors investigate whether students evaluate their peers’ behavior objectively or whether their perceptions may be biased by personal liking or disliking.
It was found that liking other classmates influences the perception and evaluation of aggressive behavior, whereas disliking did not have this effect. Students were more likely to perceive popular classmates as defenders. The perception of aggressors, victims, or defenders was also influenced by the opinions of those classmates toward whom the student felt affection. These effects appear to depend on classroom norms—for example, whether it is customary in the class to excuse inappropriate behavior or rather to condemn it and support the victim.
The findings suggest that it is important to take into account the relationships among students and the classroom climate in order to minimize bias in peer evaluations.