Latent classes of aggression and peer victimization: Measurement invariance and differential item functioning across sex, race-ethnicity, cohort, and study site

Peer victimization is common and linked to maladjustment. Prior research has typically identified four peer victimization subgroups: aggressors, victims, aggressive-victims, and uninvolved. However, findings related to sex and racial-ethnic differences in subgroup membership have been mixed. Using data collected in September of 2002 and 2003, this study conducted confirmatory latent class analysis of a racially-ethnically diverse sample of 5415 sixth graders (49% boys; 50.6% Black; 20.9% Hispanic) representing two cohorts from 37 schools in four U.S. communities to replicate the four subgroups and evaluate measurement invariance of latent class indicators across cohort, sex, race-ethnicity, and study site. Results replicated the four-class solution and illustrated that sociodemographic differences in subgroup membership were less evident after accounting for differential item functioning.