Who will fight back? Distinguishing the ‘double-trouble’ in bullying by dispositions towards ridicule and being laughed at

Abstract Beyond the conventional bully and victim roles, some individuals exhibit both behaviors, referred to as “double-trouble.” To facilitate early identification, this study examined dispositions toward ridicule and being laughed at in Taiwanese students. In light of differing gelotophobia-katagelasticism relationships found in Swiss (negative, non-significant) versus Taiwanese (significantly positive) samples, we hypothesized that victims would show high levels of gelotophobia, bullies would be high in katagelasticism, and double-trouble individuals’ high levels of gelotophobia, gelotophilia, and katagelasticism. A total of 755 Taiwanese fifth- and sixth-grade students completed the PhoPhiKat-TC and the Bullying Experiences Scales. Results indicated that victims and double-trouble individuals demonstrated higher gelotophobia, whereas bullies and double-trouble individuals exhibited higher katagelasticism. Double-trouble individuals showed the highest levels in gelotophilia, whereas uninvolved individuals scored lowest across all traits. These findings align with prior studies, providing insights into differentiating double-trouble traits and highlighting practical implications for early bullying intervention.