Esther Mertens

106 | Chapter 5 indicate that the processes through which friends influence each other differ from the processes through which classmates influence each other. Thus, for diminishing victimization in the classroom specifically, it seems especially important to focus on improving prosocial behaviors instead of reducing deviant behaviors, which is in line with suggestions of Busching and Krahé (2020). The relation between prosocial modeling and victimization appears to be stronger when dyadic mutuality levels between classmates are higher. In interactions in which classmates are interested in each other, show affection, and are responsive, students appear to be more influenced by the prosocial behavior of their classmates and might be more likely to imitate this behavior, which is in line with previous research (e.g., Barry & Wentzel, 2006). Hence, in addition to stimulating prosocial behaviors in the class, attention should be given to improving classmates’ mutuality in order to strengthen the positive effect of prosocial modeling on victimization. For instance, interventions could provide positive and fun exercises in the class in which classmates who do not interact on a daily basis work together. This might improve students’ emotions toward each other and their expectations for future interactions (i.e., the relationship level of the classroom context) resulting in more positive mutual feelings and affection between students. We did not find relations between deviant and prosocial modeling and reinforcement and interpersonal relations in the class (i.e. perceived levels of comfort, cohesion, and conflict). Perhaps, modeling and reinforcement in the classroom reflect the norms and shared cultural conventions in the class due to which thesemechanisms exert their influence mainly on the group level – the level on which victimization is represented. Another possible explanation is that victimization might more strongly represent students’ perceptions of the school context as dangerous (Goldstein et al., 2008), whereas interpersonal relations might more strongly represent students’ feelings of social support in the classroom (Hopson et al., 2014). While perceptions of the school context appear to be influenced by experiencing and witnessing the behaviors of all classmates (Goldstein et al., 2008), perceived social support appears to be mostly influenced by friends (Bokhorst, Sumter, & Westenberg, 2010). Hence, maybe only modeling and reinforcement of friends in the class have an influence on perceived interpersonal relations in the class, regardless of the relationship quality. The absence of a relation between modeling and reinforcement and interpersonal relations in the class could also have a methodological explanation. The questionnaire regarding interpersonal relations in the class consisted of items referring to the class and classmates in general, whereas the question regarding experienced victimization concerned the students themselves. For instance, when students indicated that there were conflicts in the class, they were not necessarily involved in these conflicts. In contrast, when students indicated experienced victimization by bullies they were victimized themselves. Even though the used questionnaire gives a general overview of the interpersonal relations in the class, it does not indicate to what extent students themselves are affected by the interactions and relations between classmates. Thus,