Factor Structure of the Social Experience Questionnaire Across Time, Sex, and Grade Among Early Elementary School Children

Ample research suggests that peer victimization predicts social and psychological maladjustment, including emotional (e.g., anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression) and behavioral (e.g., aggression) problems among children. Thus, a reliable measure of peer victimization for research with young children is needed. The Social Experience Questionnaire-Self-Report (SEQ-S) has been widely used in existing research to assess children's victimization (Crick & Grotpeter, 1996). However, empirical support for the psychometric properties of the SEQ-S is limited by the methods used to evaluate it (i.e., exploratory as opposed to confirmatory analyses), by the lack of longitudinal data, and by the limited age ranges studied. This study examined the underlying factor structure of SEQ-S ratings across 3 time points in a sample of 830 early elementary school children using confirmatory factor analysis. The hypothesized model included 3 latent factors: overt victimization, relational victimization, and receipt of prosocial acts from peers. This model provided a good fit to the data at each time point. Although it is not clear that there is invariance, results indicate that invariance across time, sex, and grade could be present. Recommendations for continued use of the SEQ-S in future research on peer victimization with young children are discussed.