Testing the Direction of Longitudinal Paths between Victimization, Peer Rejection, and Different Types of Internalizing Problems in Adolescence

A Longitudinal Study of Forms of Peer Victimization and Internalizing Problems in Adolescence

The present study examined developmental changes in forms of peer victimization and longitudinal associations between forms of peer victimization and internalizing problems among Japanese adolescents. Participants were 271 students (Time 1 M age = 12.72, SD = 0.45, 50% girls) from 9 classrooms and 2 public middle schools in Japan. Data were collected at five time points from 7th to 9th grade. Growth curve modeling (GCM) of mean changes indicated that relational victimization and internalizing problems decreased over three school years. Overt victimization first decreased and then remained relatively constant toward the end of the assessment. In addition, the results of the Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) indicated that the random intercept of relational victimization was positively and strongly correlated with that of internalizing problems. Although the random intercept of overt victimization was positively correlated with that of internalizing problems, the effect size was small to moderate. In general, there were no significant within-person changes between relational and overt victimization and internalizing problems. However, some exceptions were noted towards the end of middle school, such that higher relational victimization was associated with increases in internalizing problems, which in turn led to more relational victimization. There were no gender differences in the above trajectories or in the transactional models. The findings regarding at-risk youth who are vulnerable to relational and overt victimization are discussed from clinical, cultural, and developmental perspectives.

The longitudinal associations between bullying perpetration, bullying victimization, and internalizing symptoms: Bidirectionality and mediation by friend support

Internalizing symptoms have been linked to bullying perpetration and victimization in adolescence. However, the directions of any causal relationships remain unclear, and limited research has identified the mechanisms that explain the associations. Given the salience of peer relationships during the teenage years, we examine whether perceived support from friends is one such mechanism. By using a transactional framework and four waves of longitudinal panel data on over 900 youth, we test both cross-lagged and indirect associations between bullying perpetration, bullying victimization, internalizing symptoms, and perceived friend support. Our method represents one of the most rigorous tests to date of the mutual influences among these factors. The results show that internalizing symptoms and perceived friend support were reciprocally linked to bullying victimization, but perceived support did not predict internalizing symptoms, and bullying perpetration neither preceded nor followed perceived support or internalizing symptoms. There were no significant indirect paths between bullying involvement and internalizing symptoms through perceived friend support. The results provide only partial support for a transactional model in which bullying victimization, support, and internalizing symptoms are reciprocally related. The implications of these findings for theory, future research, and practice are discussed.

The link between anger and reactive aggression: Insights into anger rumination

This study examined the mediating role of anger rumination in the relationship between anger and reactive aggression and the potential of adaptive anger rumination in reducing reactive aggression. Study 1, a two-wave longitudinal survey of 177 Chinese adolescents, showed that anger rumination mediated the relationship between anger and reactive aggression. Study 2, an experimental study with 160 university students, showed that the self-distanced group had lower aggression than the self-immersed group, and anger rumination mediated the impact of anger on reactive aggression in only the self-immersed group. These findings clarify the role of anger rumination concerning the relationship between anger and reactive-aggression and highlight the importance of self-distanced anger rumination in preventing reactive aggression among adolescents and young adults.

Peer Victimization and Adolescent Mental Health: School-level Victimization as a Moderator

As a global issue, peer victimization is closely associated with adolescent mental health. Although previous research has explored the relationship between peer victimization and mental health in some contexts, the school context, particularly within the Chinese cultural context, has not received sufficient attention. Based on the Healthy Context Paradox, this study aimed to explore the moderating role of school-level victimization in the relationship between individual-level peer victimization and mental health. This study tested two hypotheses by using a multilevel design: higher individual-level and school-level peer victimization are associated with higher depressive symptoms and lower life satisfaction (Hypothesis 1); school-level victimization moderates the association between individual-level peer victimization and mental health (Hypothesis 2). Participants were 39,720 adolescents (50.41% females; Mage = 13.68, SD = 2.39) across 292 Chinese schools. They completed a set of questionnaires, including the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the single-item Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Peer Victimization Scale, and demographics. The multilevel model indicated that both individual-level and school-level peer victimization were positively correlated with depressive symptoms and negatively correlated with life satisfaction. In schools with lower levels of victimization, there was a stronger association between individual peer victimization and adolescent mental health. A potential explanation for these results might be the victimization visibility and perceived severity in different contexts. These findings extended the discussion of the Healthy Context Paradox within the Chinese school context and provided valuable insights for developing school support strategies for victimized adolescents. School management might play a significant role in affecting the mental health of victimized adolescents.

Developmental interactions between peer victimization and depressive symptoms in adolescents: A latent change score analysis

Peer victimization and depressive symptoms are highly relevant risks during adolescence. Understanding the dynamic patterns of interactions between peer victimization and depressive symptoms as well as gender differences in these variables can improve intervention strategies for adolescents navigating this critical transition period. In the present study, a large sample of Chinese adolescents reported peer victimization and depressive symptoms in four survey waves at six-month intervals. A total of 2534 adolescents (51.9% boys, M = 12.98 ± 0.60 years) were included in the latent change score (LCS) analysis. The results supported the reciprocal effects model obtained in the full sample. Changes in peer victimization were influenced by prior changes in depressive symptoms over time, and changes in depressive symptoms were influenced by prior levels of peer victimization. There were also gender differences, with boys exhibiting depressive symptom-driven effects on peer victimization, while girls exhibiting peer victimization-induced depressive symptoms. The dynamic relationships between peer victimization and depressive symptoms that promote and constrain each other in adolescents are elucidated in this study. Differentiating effects on boys and girls is crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of practical interventions.

A cross-lagged twin study of emotional symptoms, social isolation and peer victimisation from early adolescence to emerging adulthood

BACKGROUND

Emotional symptoms, such as anxiety and depressive symptoms, are common during adolescence, often persist over time, and can precede the emergence of severe anxiety and depressive disorders. Studies suggest that a vicious cycle of reciprocal influences between emotional symptoms and interpersonal difficulties may explain why some adolescents suffer from persisting emotional symptoms. However, the role of different types of interpersonal difficulties, such as social isolation and peer victimisation, in these reciprocal associations is still unclear. In addition, the lack of longitudinal twin studies conducted on emotional symptoms during adolescence means that the genetic and environmental contributions to these relationships during adolescence remain unknown.

METHODS

Participants (N = 15,869) from the Twins Early Development Study completed self-reports of emotional symptoms, social isolation and peer victimisation at 12, 16 and 21 years old. A phenotypic cross-lagged model examined reciprocal associations between variables over time, and a genetic extension of this model examined the aetiology of the relationships between variables at each timepoint.

RESULTS

First, emotional symptoms were reciprocally and independently associated with both social isolation and peer victimisation over time, indicating that different forms of interpersonal difficulties uniquely contributed to emotional symptoms during adolescence and vice versa. Second, early peer victimisation predicted later emotional symptoms via social isolation in mid-adolescence, indicating that social isolation may constitute an intermediate pathway through which peer victimisation predicts longer-term emotional symptoms. Finally, individual differences in emotional symptoms were mostly accounted for by non-shared environmental factors at each timepoint, and both gene-environment and individual-specific environmental mechanisms were involved in the relationships between emotional symptoms and interpersonal difficulties.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study highlights the necessity to intervene early in adolescence to prevent the escalation of emotional symptoms over time and to consider social isolation and peer victimisation as important risk factors for the long-term persistence of emotional symptoms.

Student Engagement as a Mediator Process Between Peer Victimization and Achievement at the Beginning of Middle School

BACKGROUND

Very few studies have properly identified how peer victimization is associated with lower achievement in middle or high school. In this context, this study examined how peer victimization at the beginning of middle school is linked with subsequent student achievement. Specifically, it assessed if the behavioral, affective, and cognitive dimensions of engagement in school play a mediation role in the relationship between peer victimization and student achievement.

METHODS

The sample of this study included 683 seventh graders attending 3 schools in Montreal, Canada. Students self-reported peer victimization at the beginning and end of grade 7. They also reported their levels of student engagement on the 3 dimensions (behavioral, affective, and cognitive) across 3 time points in seventh and eighth grades. Student achievement in language arts across these 2 years was also obtained through school records.

RESULTS

Peer victimization significantly predicted lower achievement over time (b = -.24, p ≤ .001). Peer victimization predicted lower achievement in grade 8 indirectly through affective student engagement (b = -.11, p < .05). Post hoc analyses showed that peer victimization still predicted lower achievement in grade 8 indirectly through a decrease in affective engagement (b = -.14, p < .05). However, when considered alone, a decrease in cognitive engagement also acted as a mediator (b = -.09, p < .05), suggesting a strong link with affective engagement.

CONCLUSION

Our findings expose the importance to promote student engagement in school and achievement for victimized youth.

Reciprocal associations between peer victimization and depressive symptoms among Chinese children and adolescents: Between- and within-person effects

Peer victimization is detrimental to child mental health. Research has indicated a reciprocal relationship between peer victimization and mental health problems. Yet limited evidence was from children and adolescents in China. The present study used the random intercepts cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) to examine both between-person and within-person associations between peer victimization and depressive symptoms among Chinese children and adolescents. Participants were 1205 Chinese students (Mage  = 11.27 years; ranged from 9 to 15 years; SD = 1.75; 55% boys) who completed four surveys (Time 1 to Time 4) between 2017 and 2019 on demographics, peer victimization, and depressive symptoms. At the between-person level, peer victimization was positively associated with depressive symptoms. Controlling for between-person effects, RI-CLPM suggested positive within-person effects from peer victimization to depressive symptoms across adjacent waves. The model also suggested a positive within-person effect from Time 2 depressive symptoms to Time 3 peer victimization. The multi-group analysis showed that these effects did not differ by gender, age, or subjective socioeconomic status. Peer victimization and depression appear to be reciprocally related at the transitioning period between late childhood and early adolescence in Chinese students. Mental health interventions should attend to peer victimization for children and adolescents in China.

The relationship between parent-child relationship and peer victimization: a multiple mediation model through peer relationship and depression

Introduction

Peer victimization is a highly prevalent worldwide issue with cross-cultural characteristics. Parent-child relationship and peer victimization is known to be interrelated, but how they influence each other remains unclear. This study explored the mechanisms of peer victimization related to parent-child relationship.

Methods

A total of 58,756 fourth grade students aged 10-12 years (10.83 ± 0.83, 54.4% males) from China completed four questionnaires. A multiple mediator model was tested, in which the two variables influenced each other through the mediating factors of peer relationship and depression.

Results

Peer victimization was indirectly negatively impacted by parent-child relationship through two chain mediating factors of peer relationship and depression: (1) the mediational path through peer relationship with an effect size of 44.66%; (2) the mediational path through depression with an effect size of 21.64%; and (3) the mediational path through peer relationship and depression with an effect size of 18.08%. The total mediational effect size was 84.11%.

Conclusion

The effect size through peer relationship is the strongest among the three mediation paths, suggesting that peer relationship is the key determinant in breaking the link between parent-child relationship and victimization. Poor parent-child and peer relationships may be risk factors eliciting peer victimization. Compared to internalizing behaviors (e.g., depression), low-quality interpersonal relationships maybe the root cause of the formation and maintenance of victimization. Thus, intervention programs against bullying should pay more attention on children's contextual factors, especially their relationships with their families and peers, among children at an early age.

Neural activation to peer acceptance and rejection in relation to concurrent and prospective depression risk in adolescent and pre-adolescent girls

Neurobiological sensitivity to peer interactions is a proposed marker of risk for adolescent depression. We investigated neural response to peer rejection and acceptance in relation to concurrent and prospective depression risk in adolescent and pre-adolescent girls. Participants were 76 girls (Mage=13, 45% racial/ethnic minorities) varying in depression risk: 22 with current major depressive disorder (MDD), 30 at High Risk for MDD based on parental history, and 24 at Low Risk with no psychiatric history. Girls participated in the Chatroom-Interact task-involving rejection and acceptance feedback from fictitious peers-while undergoing functional magnetic resonance neuroimaging. Activation in response to peer rejection and acceptance was extracted from regions of interest. Depressive symptoms were assessed at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Girls with MDD showed blunted left subgenual anterior cingulate response to acceptance versus girls in High and Low Risk groups. Girls in the High Risk group showed greater right temporo-parietal junction (rTPJ) and right anterior insula (AI) activation to both acceptance and rejection versus girls in the MDD (rTPJ) and Low Risk (rTPJ, AI) groups. Greater rTPJ response to rejection was associated with fewer depressive symptoms at 12-months and mediated the association between High Risk group status and 12-month depressive symptoms; greater rTPJ response to acceptance mediated the association between High Risk and increased 12-month depressive symptoms. Our finding of associations between altered neural response to peer interactions and concurrent and prospective depression risk/resilience highlights the importance of neural underpinnings of social cognition as risk and compensatory adaptations along the pathway to depression.

Adolescent Peer Victimization and Deliberate Self-Harm: A Three-Wave Moderated Mediation Model

Background: Identifying deliberate self-harm (DSH) and peer victimization in adolescents is a public health issue. The present study evaluates a three-wave longitudinal model to examine the effect of peer victimization on DSH and the roles of internalizing problems (depression and anxiety) and perceived peer and teacher support climate in this relationship. Methods: The participants were 2381 adolescents (51.2% boys, Mage = 13.38, SD = .59) from Chinese middle schools. Self-report measures were used to collect data every 6 months in three waves. Results: (1) Peer victimization at T1 positively predicted DSH at T3. (2) Depression at T2, rather than anxiety, mediated the relationship between peer victimization at T1 and DSH at T3. (3) Perceived peer support climate at T1 played a moderating role between peer victimization at T1 and depression and anxiety at T2, but perceived teacher support climate did not. Peer victimization had a stronger predictive effect on depression and anxiety for students with high level of perceived peer support climate. Limitations: Study limitations include the short interval (6 months) of the longitudinal design, the reliance on self-report questionnaires, the inclusion of only one aspect of student-student and teacher-student relationships, and the age limitation. Conclusions: The results demonstrated the importance of prevention for improving social and emotional skills to reduce peer victimization and of interventions to promote a peer support climate in the classroom. The findings highlight the need to consider different types of internalizing problems and perceived support in studies of DSH in adolescents.

Body mass index and bullying victimization as antecedents for depressive symptoms in a Swedish youth cohort

Aim

The bidirectional association between obesity and depression seen in adults is not clearly established in adolescents. The aim of this study was to investigate the longitudinal association between body mass index (BMI), depressive symptoms and interactions between bullying victimization and BMI, taking gender differences into account.

Subjects and methods

In a Swedish county, self-reported bullying victimization, BMI and depressive symptoms from 1729 adolescents ($$ \overline{y} $$ y ¯ = 14.4, 56% females) were collected in 2012 (wave 1), in 2015 (wave 2) ($$ \overline{y}=17.3 $$ y ¯ = 17.3 ) and in 2018 (wave 3) ($$ \overline{y} $$ y ¯ = 19.9). Longitudinal associations were assessed using binary logistic regression models controlling for confounding factors. Interaction effects between BMI and victimization on depressive symptoms were also assessed.

Results

Wave 1 obese males had approximately six times increased odds ratio compared to normal weight, for wave 2 depressive symptoms. W1 overweight was associated with an odds ratio of 1.5 in all participants for wave 3 depressive symptoms. Victimization was consistently associated with higher odds ratio for future depressive symptoms. We found interaction effects between bullying victimization and BMI for future depressive symptoms with different patterns depending on sex.

Conclusion

Given the present findings, bullying needs to be prevented, and, if it occurs, it needs to be stopped at an early stage to prevent future depressive symptoms.

Stability and Changes in Traditional and Cyberbullying Perpetration and Victimization in Childhood: The Predictive Role of Depressive Symptoms

Childhood bullying is a public health concern. The stability and changes in children's bullying profiles should provide useful information about specific risk groups and their developmental patterns. The current longitudinal study examined the stability and changes in bullying involvement in children along with the predictive roles of depressive symptoms in bullying subgroup memberships and transitions. A total of 4,321 Chinese children (55.1% male, M_age = 9.93) participated in self-report assessments at three time points with six-month intervals. Bullying subgroups were identified based on physical, relational, and cyberbullying using latent profile analysis. The transitions patterns were modeled using latent transition analysis. Depressive symptoms were added as a covariate in bullying subgroup memberships and transitions. Five bullying subgroups were found at Time 1 and Time 2: traditional bully-victims, traditional victims, (cyber) bully-victims, (cyber) victims, and noninvolved children, whereas four bullying subgroups were found at Time 3: traditional bully-victims, traditional victims, (cyber) bully-victims, and noninvolved children. Findings suggested that (a) childhood bullying involvement showed varying levels of stability, with noninvolved children displaying the most stability and cyberbullying-involved children displaying the least stability; (b) children reporting more severe depressive symptoms manifested a higher risk of bullying involvement; (c) initially noninvolved children showing depressive symptoms were at a higher risk for becoming traditional victims; and (d) children reporting depressive symptoms found it more difficult to escape from bullying than children without depressive symptoms. The findings offer support for both the cumulative continuity and interactional models of development. The findings also highlight the important the role of depressive symptoms in preventing and ameliorating children's bullying.

Reciprocal associations between shyness, depression, and Internet gaming disorder among Chinese adolescents: A cross-lagged panel study

While video games are one of the most common online entertainment activities, Internet gaming disorder (IGD) in adolescents is a critical issue that has become a widely raised public concern. This one-year longitudinal study examined the reciprocal associations between shyness, depression, and IGD symptoms in a sample of Chinese adolescents. A fully cross-lagged panel design was used, in which shyness, depression, and IGD symptoms were assessed at two time points with an interval of one year (T1 and T2). A total of 1,047 junior high school students (504 boys; 543 girls; mean age = 12.45 years) participated in the study. Cross-lagged analysis results indicated a significant positive correlation between shyness, depression, and IGD symptoms, as well as a dynamic and bidirectional relationship between them. Specifically, T1 shyness positively predicted T2 depression symptoms (β = 0.167, p < 0.001), T1 depression symptoms positively predicted T2 shyness (β = 0.141, p < 0.01), and T1 IGD symptoms positively predicted T2 depression symptoms (β = 0.073, p < 0.05). In addition to these findings, gender differences were identified in shyness (T1 and T2), IGD symptoms (T1 and T2), and depression symptoms (T2). The results also indicated that shyness and symptoms of depression could significantly positively predict each other over time, and IGD symptoms could significantly predict depression symptoms. However, depression symptoms could not significantly predict IGD symptoms over the one-year study period, and there was no significant two-way prediction between shyness and IGD symptoms. Thus, this study reveals possible reciprocal associations between shyness, depression, and IGD symptoms in Chinese adolescents and provides insights and suggestions for reducing online gaming addiction among adolescents from the perspective of shyness and depression.

Peer Victimization, Internalizing Problems, and the Buffering Role of Friendship Quality: Disaggregating Between- and Within-Person Associations

Although many studies have shown an association between peer victimization and internalizing problems, which may be buffered by friendship quality, it is unclear whether these associations apply to within-person processes as well. This would mean that at times when adolescents experience more victimization than they usually do, they also experience more internalizing problems. The current study disaggregated between- and within-person variation to examine the association between peer victimization and symptoms of depression and anxiety, and the protective effect of friend support and conflict. Participants were 497 Dutch adolescents (56% boys) with a mean age of 13.03 (SD_age = 0.45, ranging from 11.68 to 15.56 at Wave 1). They participated in a 6-wave questionnaire study, with each wave taking place approximately one year after the previous. The results showed that peer victimization was associated with depressive symptoms and anxiety across adolescence, both between and within persons. Friend support buffered this association at the between-person level, but not the within-person level. This study highlights the impact of peer victimization and suggests that friend support may partly protect adolescents from the effects of peer victimization.

Integrative Brain Dynamics in Childhood Bullying Victimization: Cognitive and Emotional Convergence Associated With Stress Psychopathology

Bullying victimization is a form of psychological stress that is associated with poor outcomes in the areas of mental health and learning. Although the emotional maladjustment and memory impairment following interpersonal stress are well documented, the mechanisms of complex cerebral dysfunctions have neither been outlined nor studied in depth in the context of childhood bullying victimization. As a contribution to the cross-disciplinary field of developmental psychology and neuroscience, we review the neuropathophysiology of early life stress, as well as general psychological stress to synthesize the data and clarify the versatile dynamics within neuronal networks linked to bullying victimization. The stress-induced neuropsychological cascade and associated cerebral networks with a focus on cognitive and emotional convergence are described. The main findings are that stress-evoked neuroendocrine reactivity relates to neuromodulation and limbic dysregulation that hinder emotion processing and executive functioning such as semantic cognition, cognitive flexibility, and learning. Developmental aspects and interacting neural mechanisms linked to distressed cognitive and emotional processing are pinpointed and potential theory-of-mind nuances in targets of bullying are presented. The results show that childhood stress psychopathology is associated with a complex interplay where the major role belongs to, but is not limited to, the amygdala, fusiform gyrus, insula, striatum, and prefrontal cortex. This interplay contributes to the sensitivity toward facial expressions, poor cognitive reasoning, and distress that affect behavioral modulation and emotion regulation. We integrate the data on major brain dynamics in stress neuroactivity that can be associated with childhood psychopathology to help inform future studies that are focused on the treatment and prevention of psychiatric disorders and learning problems in bullied children and adolescents.

Peer Status as a Potential Risk or Protective Factor: A Latent Profile Analysis on Peer Status and Its Association with Internalizing Symptoms in Adolescents with and without Parental Physical Abuse Experience

Research has well established that parental physical abuse experiences can lead to devastating consequences for adolescents, with peer relationships acting as both protective and risk factors. With the person-centered latent profile analysis (LPA), we analyzed questionnaire data from a cross-sectional study in 2020 composed of a sample of 1959 seventh-grade high school students from Switzerland. This study investigated and compared peer-status profiles combining peer acceptance and peer popularity for adolescents with and without parental physical abuse experiences. We conducted a multinomial logistic regression analysis to investigate further depression, anxiety, and dissociation as predictors of profile membership. With LPA, we identified three distinct profiles for adolescents within the subgroup with experiences of parental physical abuse (n = 344), namely liked, liked-popular, and rejected-unpopular. Within the subgroup of adolescents without parental physical abuse experiences (n = 1565), LPA revealed four profiles, namely liked, liked-popular, rejected-unpopular, and average. For adolescents with parental physical abuse experiences, higher levels of dissociation significantly indicated they were more likely to belong to the rejected-unpopular group than belong to the liked group. Anxious students without experiences of parental physical abuse were more likely to belong to the rejected-unpopular and liked profiles than belong to the liked-popular and average profiles. These findings clearly argue for a deeper understanding of the role of parental physical abuse when analyzing the relationship between dissociation and anxiety and peer status. Operationalizing peer status with the four individual dimensions of likeability, rejection, popularity, and unpopularity was valuable in that the role of peer rejection with respect to different internalizing symptoms became apparent.

Sex differences in neural mechanisms of social and non-social threat monitoring

Adolescent males and females differ in their responses to social threat. Yet, threat processing is often probed in non-social contexts using the error-related negativity (ERN; Flanker EEG Task), which does not yield sex-specific outcomes. fMRI studies show inconsistent patterns of sex-specific neural engagement during threat processing. Thus, the relation between threat processing in non-social and social contexts across sexes and the effects perceived level of threat on brain function are unclear. We tested the interactive effect of non-social threat-vigilance (ERN), sex (N = 69; Male=34; 11–14-year-olds), and perceived social threat on brain function while anticipating feedback from ‘unpredictable’, ‘nice’, or ‘mean’ purported peers (fMRI; Virtual School Paradigm). Whole-brain analyses revealed differential engagement of precentral and inferior frontal gyri, putamen, anterior cingulate cortex, and insula. Among males with more threat-vigilant ERNs, greater social threat was associated with increased activation when anticipating unpredictable feedback. Region of interest analyses revealed this same relation in females in the amygdala and anterior hippocampus when anticipating mean feedback. Thus, non-social threat vigilance relates to neural engagement depending on perceived social threat, but peer-based social contexts and brain regions engaged, differ across sexes. This may partially explain divergent psychosocial outcomes in adolescence.

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Responses to social threat differ by sex and likely influence peer victimization.

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Threat processing is often probed in nonsocial contexts and is not sex-specific.

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Responses to type of social threat differed by sex, but relate to response to non-social threat.

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Brain regions engaged during social threat differ by sex.

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Perceived social threat relate to in-vivo peer victimization in both sexes.

The association of social skills and behaviour problems with bullying engagement in Portuguese adolescents: From aggression to victimization behaviors

This study examines sex differences regarding social skills, behavior problems and bullying engagement, and the association of social skills and behavior problems with bullying engagement, in adolescents. Participants were 447 Portuguese adolescents (252 girls and 195 boys) aged between 12 and 19-years-old. Social skills and behavior problems were assessed using the self-report version of Social Skills Improvement System - Rating Scales. Bullying engagement was assessed using the Scale of Interpersonal Behavior at School. Girls scored higher on social skills and reported more internalizing and fewer externalizing problems than boys, whereas boys reported more aggressive verbal behaviors than girls. Adolescents exhibiting fewer social skills and more internalizing and externalizing problems engage more frequently in bullying aggressive behaviors. In addition, adolescents presenting more internalizing and externalizing problems are more often victimized by bullies. Furthermore, boys more frequently engage in bullying aggressive and victimization behaviors, whereas younger adolescents with more social skills tend to engage less frequently in bullying aggressive behaviors.

The Association between Externalizing and Internalizing Problems with Bullying Engagement in Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Social Skills

Bullying has severe public health consequences, due to its high prevalence worldwide and devastating effects on physical and mental health. Therefore, it is relevant to further understand the factors that contribute to the emergence and maintenance of bullying. This study aimed to examine the differential mediating role of social skills in the relationship between (i) externalizing problems and engagement in aggressive bullying behaviors, and (ii) internalizing problems and the engagement in victimization bullying behaviors. Participants were 669 Portuguese adolescents aged between 12 and 19 years. The Social Skills Improvement System-Rating Scales and the Scale of Interpersonal Behavior at School were used to assess social skills and the engagement in bullying behaviors, respectively. Boys scored higher on aggressive behaviors and externalizing problems. Girls reported higher scores on internalizing problems, communication, cooperation and empathy. Social skills differently mediated the association between behavior problems and engagement in bullying. While empathy negatively mediated the association between externalizing problems and aggressive bullying behaviors, assertiveness negatively mediated the relationship between internalizing problems and victimization bullying behaviors. The risk factors for engaging in bullying are discussed, and so are the protective ones, which may help to prevent bullying behaviors and reduce their negative impact.

Prospective associations between social status and social anxiety in early adolescence

This study examined the transactional longitudinal association between social status (likeability and popularity) and social anxiety symptoms (fear of negative evaluation and social avoidance and distress), and explored gender differences in this association. Participants included 274 adolescents (136 boys, M_age = 12.55). Data were collected at two waves with a 6‐month interval. Likeability and popularity were measured with peer nominations and social anxiety symptoms with self‐reports. Autoregressive cross‐lagged path models showed relative stability of social status and social anxiety. Girls who were seen as less popular by their classmates avoided social situations more frequently and experienced more distress during such situations over time. These results highlight the importance of distinguishing between different social status components and social anxiety symptoms and to take gender into account. Early support for less popular girls seems important to prevent more severe consequences of avoidance and distress, such as social exclusion and victimization.

Bivariate latent change score analysis of peer relations from early childhood to adolescence: Leading or lagging indicators of psychopathology

Understanding longitudinal associations between problematic peer relations and psychopathology are needed to inform public health. Three models have been proposed: poor peer relations i) lead or are a risk factor for psychopathology; ii) lag or are a consequence of psychopathology; iii) both lead and lag psychopathology. Another model is that poor peer relations lead or lag psychopathology depending upon the developmental period. To test these models, youth's peer relations and clinical symptoms were assessed up to 6 times between ages 3-11 in 306 children. Bivariate latent change score models tested leading/lagging longitudinal relationships between children's peer relations (peer victimization/rejection, peer-directed aggression, social withdrawal, prosocial behavior) and psychopathology (depression, anxiety, and externalizing symptoms). Peer victimization/rejection was a leading indicator of depression from early childhood into preadolescence. Peer-directed aggression was a leading indicator of externalizing symptoms (in late childhood).

Prospective associations between peer functioning and social anxiety in adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

During adolescence, peer relationships take precedence and there is a normative increase in social anxiety. Although prospective studies have suggested peer functioning and social anxiety can influence each other, their findings have not been examined systematically. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies to examine the bidirectional relationship between peer functioning and social anxiety in adolescence.

METHODS

EMBASE, PsycINFO, Medline, and PubMed were searched to identify relevant articles. Meta-analysis was conducted to examine the mean effect sizes of prospective associations between social anxiety and four dimensions of peer functioning. Moderator analysis was performed, with age, gender, time interval between baseline and follow-up assessment, and publication year as moderators.

RESULTS

Meta-analyses of 23 studies showed that friendship quality (r =-.11), peer rejection (r =-.06), and peer victimization (r =.23) were each associated with later social anxiety, but peer acceptance was not (r =-.11). Social anxiety at baseline was associated with prospective levels of friendship quality (r =-.11), peer rejection (r=.09), and peer victimization (r =.17), but not peer acceptance (r =-.14). Age moderated the association between friendship quality and prospective social anxiety. Other moderator effects were statistically non-significant.

LIMITATIONS

Limitations include different classifications of peer functioning, the use of self-report measures, heterogeneity between studies, and underrepresentation of clinical samples.

CONCLUSIONS

A significant bidirectional association was found with social anxiety across three dimensions of peer functioning. Psychological prevention and intervention targeting peer functioning and social anxiety are indicated.

Prenatal Substance Exposure and Developmental Trajectories of Internalizing Symptoms: Toddlerhood to Preadolescence

BACKGROUND

Little is known about how prenatal exposure to substances (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and cocaine) may contribute to heterogeneous childhood trajectories of internalizing symptoms (i.e., depression, withdrawal, anxiety). The present study aimed to identify developmental trajectories of internalizing symptoms in children using gender-separate analyses and to examine whether trajectories differ by prenatal substance exposure (PSE) and other environmental and biological correlates.

METHODS

Data from two large community-based birth cohorts with PSE were integrated (N = 1,651, 848 boys, 803 girls): the Cleveland cohort and the Maternal Lifestyle Study (MLS). Internalizing symptoms were assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist at ages 2, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, and 12 in the Cleveland study and at ages 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 in the MLS.

RESULTS

Gender-separate group-based trajectory modeling yielded five distinctive developmental trajectories of internalizing symptoms from ages 2 to 13 in both boys and girls: low-risk group (14.4% girls, 28.8% boys); normative-decreasing group (35.3% girls, 33.1% boys); increasing risk group (14.4% girls, 13.0% boys); early-high group (22.3% girls, 17.9% boys); and chronic group (13.8% girls, 7.2% boys). Prenatal tobacco exposure, maternal psychological distress, and postnatal maternal alcohol use differentiated the longitudinal courses of internalizing symptoms. Boys were more likely to follow the low-risk trajectory, whereas girls were more likely to follow the chronic trajectory.

CONCLUSIONS

Prenatal tobacco exposure was associated with suboptimal developmental trajectories of internalizing symptoms in the context of prenatal poly-drug exposure, highlighting a need for continued and increased effort toward prevention of prenatal tobacco use.

Relationship between School Integration, Psychosocial Adjustment and Cyber-Aggression among Adolescents

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between sociometric types in the classroom—rejected, preferred, neglected, controversial and average—and psychological discomfort, life satisfaction and cyber-aggression, based on the adolescent’s gender. 2398 adolescents of both sexes participated in the study (49.8% girls), aged between 12 and 18 years (M = 16.03, SD = 1.91). Multivariate analyses of variance were performed. The results showed significant relationships between sociometric types, life satisfaction and cyber-aggression. Rejected adolescents also showed less satisfaction with life and greater cyber-aggression. Furthermore, the boys, regardless of their sociometric type in the classroom, displayed less psychological distress and less involvement in cyber-aggression. Controversial adolescents also showed greater involvement in cyber-aggression. Finally, programs should be promoted for the prevention of social difficulties in the school, based on the promotion of social integration, not only in the classroom, but also on the Internet.

How School Contexts Shape the Relations Among Adolescents' Beliefs, Peer Victimization, and Depressive Symptoms

The present research examined how school contexts shape the extent to which beliefs about the potential for change (implicit theories) interact with social adversity to predict depressive symptoms. A preregistered multilevel regression analysis using data from 6,237 ninth-grade adolescents in 25 U.S. high schools showed a three-way interaction: Implicit theories moderated the associations between victimization and depressive symptoms only in schools with high levels of school-level victimization, but not in schools with low victimization levels. In high-victimization schools, adolescents who believed that people cannot change (an entity theory of personality) were more depressed when they were victimized more frequently. Thus, the mental health correlates of adolescents' implicit theories depend on both personal experiences and the norms in the context.

Narcissistic traits as predictors of emotional problems in children with oppositional defiant disorder: A longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Children's self-views encompass two independent dimensions: self-esteem and narcissism, which recently have received growing attention from researchers and clinicians. The current study sought to test whether these dimensions might predict the developmental course of children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder diagnosis.

METHOD

The sample (N = 64, M age = 10.1 years, 57 boys) included children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder diagnosis. We examined longitudinal relationships between self-views (both self-esteem and narcissism) and parent-reported internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems.

RESULTS

The study spanned two time-points, spaced 12 months apart. None of the predictors were longitudinally associated with the levels of externalizing behavioral problems in children. However, narcissism predicted the levels of children's internalizing problems at the follow-up, whereas self-esteem did not.

LIMITATIONS

The relatively small sample and the lack of assessing causality limit the generalizability of the findings. Results need to be replicated in larger samples.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings illustrate the value of taking into account children's narcissistic traits in clinical assessment. By broadening knowledge of narcissistic traits in clinical samples of children, we hope to inform assessment procedures in standard clinical practice, as well as the development of tailored interventions to curb the emergence of later negative outcomes related to childhood narcissism, such as internalizing problems.

Development of aggressive-victims from childhood through adolescence: Associations with emotion dysregulation, withdrawn behaviors, moral disengagement, peer rejection, and friendships

At multiple developmental periods spanning from middle childhood through adolescence, we investigated the development of aggressive-victims. Multiple-informant data collected across four grade levels (1, 5, 8, and 11; N = 482; 50% females) was used to perform person-centered analyses including latent profile and latent transition analyses in order to examine the co-occurring development of multiple forms (i.e., physical, verbal, and relational) of aggression and peer victimization. Results indicated that there were two distinct subgroups of aggressive-victims, one of which was more relational in form (i.e., relational aggressive-victims), and children in these two subgroups were distinguishable with respect to their individual characteristics (emotion dysregulation, withdrawn behaviors, and moral disengagement) and relational experiences (peer rejection and friendships). Furthermore, the findings elucidated the mechanisms by which developmental continuity and change (i.e., transitions) among the subgroups occurred across childhood and adolescence.

Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous System Functioning and Experiences of Peer Exclusion: Links to Internalizing Problems in Early Adolescence

This study examines the moderating effect of both branches of the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic) on associations between peer exclusion and internalizing behaviors. Young adolescents (N = 68) self-reported their perceptions of peer exclusion and internalizing problems and participated in stress-inducing public speaking tasks. Skin conductance and respiratory sinus arrhythmia were assessed at baseline (skin conductance baseline, SCLB; respiratory sinus arrhythmia baseline, RSAB) and during the challenge task to provide measures of physiological reactivity (skin conductance reactivity, SCLR; respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity, delta RSA). Youth with high delta RSA (low vagal suppression) had higher levels of internalizing problems when they perceived more peer exclusion in their social environments. The combination of low SCLR and high delta RSA (reciprocal parasympathetic) predicted higher levels of internalizing problems, whereas the combination of high SCLR and high delta RSA (coactivation) predicted lower levels of internalizing problems. The association between peer exclusion and youth internalizing problems was not moderated by ANS reactivity profiles which reflected combinations of SCLR and delta RSA.

Caught in a vicious cycle? Explaining bidirectional spillover between parent-child relationships and peer victimization

Relationships with parents and peers are crucial for children's socialization, but how parent-child and peer relationships mutually affect each other is not well understood. Guided by spillover theory, we zoomed in on the bidirectional interplay between parental rejection and warmth on the one hand and peer victimization on the other, and examined whether children's maladjustment symptoms mediated hypothesized cross-domain spillover effects. Data stem from five waves of the longitudinal KiVa study among 9,770 children (50% boys; mean age = 9.16, standard deviation = 1.29). Results from random intercept cross-lagged panel models showed that higher parental rejection and lower parental warmth predicted increases in peer victimization and vice versa across waves, thus supporting the bidirectional model. Moreover, spillover from parent-child rejection and warmth to peer victimization was partially driven by children's depressive symptoms and bullying perpetration. Vice versa, spillover from peer victimization to parent-child rejection and warmth was partially driven by children's social anxiety, depressive symptoms, conduct problems, and bullying perpetration. Thus, children might get caught in persistent problems in two important social domains, and these two domains influence each other through children's maladjustment. Family and school interventions should be integrated to prevent a downwards spiral.

How stressful life events and violence are related to mental health: the protective role of social relations in African context

Adolescents are universally expected to be at risk for heightened stress and violence, and subsequently to mental health problems. Good social relationships may protect their mental health, but research has mainly focused on singular relations, such as peer popularity or general social support. The current study analyses the buffering role of multiple relationships in an African context. First, how stressful life-events and violent experiences are associated to mental health, and, second, whether good social relationships with parents, siblings and peers can buffer mental health from stress and violence. The participants were 415 Ghanaian students (aged 14-17 years, M = 16.51; 71% girls). They indicated mental health by depressive symptoms and psychological distress and reported the quality of parental (support and control), sibling (warmth and rivalry) and peer relationships, and exposure to stressful life-events and violence. Hierarchical linear regression models with main and interaction effects were used to analyze the data. Only stressful life-events, but not violence, were associated with higher levels of depressive and psychological distress symptoms. Positive sibling relationships played a buffering mental health role, as stressful life-events were not related with increased depressive symptoms among adolescents enjoying warm and intimate siblingships. No protective function was found for parental or peer relationships, although good maternal and peer relationships were associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms in general.

Behaviors of ADHD and Peer Relationship Difficulties in Chinese and American Youths: Role of Co-Occurring Behaviors of Depression and Anxiety

The co-occurrence of behaviors of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with behaviors of anxiety or behaviors of depression is the norm, but little is known on how the co-occurrence accounted for youths' peer relations. The authors report results on difficult peer relations in relation to behaviors of ADHD, co-occurring behaviors of depression, and behaviors of anxiety from three studies on 862 youths in China and in the United States. Study 1 included 313 ethnically and socioeconomically diverse American youths; Study 2 included 250 youths who were adopted out of Chinese orphanages by American parents; and Study 3 included 299 youths from Beijing, China. Data on difficult peer relations and behaviors of ADHD, depression, and anxiety were collected with the third edition of Behavior Assessment System for Children-Self Report of Personality. In all three studies, each type of problems alone significantly predicted difficult peer relations, but behaviors of ADHD were not significant when co-occurring behaviors of depression or co-occurring behaviors of anxiety were considered. Despite that the youths in our study had different cultural and personal backgrounds, there was no evidence that behaviors of ADHD were detrimental to youths' peer relations when behaviors of depression or anxiety were considered. Implications for intervention were discussed.

Developmental changes in associations between depressive symptoms and peer relationships: a four-year follow-up of Chinese adolescents

Interpersonal theories have suggested that depressive symptoms influence and are influenced by peer relationships, but little is known about how depressive symptoms-peer relationships associations change with age. This study examined the longitudinal associations between both group- and dyadic-level peer relationships and depressive symptoms in a community sample of Chinese youth (n = 2179; 47.9% girls) from grades 6 to 9. Results demonstrated correlations between stable trait-like components of peer acceptance/rejection and depressive symptoms, with no dynamic state-like associations being observed. The results also suggested that conflict with friends operated as a consistent interpersonal risk for subsequent depressive symptoms across late childhood to middle adolescence. Support from friends was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms in early adolescence, but influenced and was influenced by depressive symptoms in middle adolescence. This study highlights that depressive symptoms are associated with youth's peer social status and friendship in different ways and that the interactions between friendship and depressive symptoms get strengthened with the transition to adolescence.

Evidence that Different Types of Peer Victimization have Equivalent Associations with Transdiagnostic Psychopathology in Adolescence

Experiences of peer victimization are common in adolescence and have been associated with a broad variety of psychopathology in adolescence. The present study aimed to test whether some types of victimization are more harmful than others; whether the harms associated with different types of peer victimization are specific to particular domains of psychopathology; and whether these relationships vary by gender. Participants included adolescents aged 14-15 from a nationally representative cohort study (n= 3335; mean age 14.4 years; 49.1% female; 90.1% spoke English as the main language at home). Participants provided self-report information on their experiences of peer victimization, as well as symptoms of depression, anxiety, conduct problems, hyperactivity and inattention, and substance use. These data were analyzed in a dimensional and hierarchical framework using latent variable indirect effects modeling. The associations between peer victimization and psychopathology were not unique to specific symptom domains, but rather showed broadband associations with all symptom domains via a transdiagnostic association with general psychopathology. For example, an average of only 9% of the total relationship with each symptom domain was unique to the symptom-domain level, with the remaining proportion accounted for by higher-order factors (i.e., internalizing, externalizing, and general psychopathology). Further, the strength of the relationships did not vary as a function of the type of peer victimization experience (i.e., physical, verbal, or relational), and showed evidence of strict measurement invariance by gender. These findings suggest that peer victimization might present a useful target for the prevention of general psychopathology.

Brief antibullying intervention for adolescents in public schools

ABSTRACT Objectives: To assess the results of a brief antibullying intervention for adolescents in public schools. Method: This was a controlled experimental study whose subjects were 1,043 students in 5th through 9th grades from public schools in Porto Alegre/State of Rio Grande do Sul, conducted between April and November 2015. Adolescents and school teachers randomly assigned to the intervention group participated in two meetings focused on educative aspects of bullying. Outcome was assessed using the Bullying Questionnaire - victim and perpetrator version. Generalized Estimating Equations was used to evaluate the effect of the intervention. Results: Average age of subjects was 12.5 (SD=1.62) years. A total of 613 (58.7%) adolescents participated in interventions. They were compared to 430 (41.3%) participants in the control group. The study did not observe any significant difference in bullying scores after the intervention. Conclusions: This study indicates the usefulness of clarifying precisely what bullying is in schools as part of an initial approach to an educative strategy on this topic.

Personal peer victimization and ethnic peer victimization: Findings on their co-occurrence, predictors, and outcomes from a latent profile analysis

BACKGROUND

Findings on whether immigrant students suffer from higher levels of peer victimization have been inconsistent, perhaps due to a blend of measures for personal and ethnic peer victimization.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we investigated personal and ethnic peer victimization using latent profile analyses. The profiles were related to various predictor and outcome variables.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The sample consisted of N = 4367 German elementary school students attending grades 3 and 4.

METHODS

The students responded to eight items addressing personal peer victimization and one item addressing ethnic peer victimization.

RESULTS

The findings indicated a three-profile solution. In Profile 1, students experienced a combination of personal and ethnic peer victimization; Profile 2 contained students without any victimization experiences; in Profile 3, students experienced personal peer victimization only. Relative to native German-speaking students, non-native German-speaking students had a higher chance to be classified in Profile 1 compared to Profiles 2 and 3. Both profiles of peer victimization (i.e., Profiles 1 and 3) were associated with negative outcomes including higher levels of different types of anxiety and depression, and lower levels of self-esteem and peer self-concept.

CONCLUSIONS

Student subgroups of different patterns of peer victimization were found, whereby ethnic peer victimization was blended with personal peer victimization in one subgroup, and personal peer victimization was experienced in a pure form in another subgroup. The two victimization subgroups did not differ with regard to outcomes, but were differentially predicted by students' native language.

Influence of Personality Traits and Its Interaction with the Phenomenon of Bullying: Multi-Centre Descriptive Study

Bullying affects thousands of teenagers worldwide and has devastating consequences. Various studies suggest that the personality of teenagers is a risk profile for bullying. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between the personality of teenagers aged 14 to 16 years from three education centres located in the province of Seville (Spain) and bullying in any of its victim or aggressor roles. A multi-centre cross-sectional observational descriptive study was conducted in three education centres in the province of Seville (Spain). The sample consisted of 93 students. In order to measure the two main variables, the Bull-S test was used for bullying, and the EPQ-J questionnaire was used for personality traits. A descriptive and correlation analysis was performed between variables. The results showed that 14% (n = 13) of the sample were detected as victims and another 14% (n = 13) were detected as aggressors. Statistically significant differences were found between neuroticism (p = 0.044; Phi = 0.615), sincerity (p = 0.016; V de Cramer = 0.474), and anti-social behaviour (p = 0.007; Phi = 0.620) with the variables victim/aggressor. Bullies are typically males who score high on neuroticism and anti-social behaviour, with a tendency towards social dissimulation.

Youth's school experience: Testing the role of symptoms of anxiety and co-occurring symptoms of depression

Although symptoms of anxiety often coexist with symptoms of depression, little is known on how such coexistence affects youth's school experiences.

OBJECTIVES

We tested how the two types of behaviors, when coexisting, were associated with youth's negative attitude toward teachers, school, and poor peer relations.

METHOD

Data were collected from 203 ethnically and socioeconomically diverse youth (male: 24.6%; mean = 15.8 years, standard deviation = 2.4) with the 3rd edition of the Behavioral Assessment for Children: Self-Report of Personality.

RESULTS

Scores for symptoms of depression alone explained negative attitude toward teachers (β = .28; R²  = 17.88%), negative attitude toward school (β = .27; R²  = 14.74%), and poor peer relations (β = .42; R²  = 44.60%) as effectively as scores for both types of behaviors did.

CONCLUSION

The coexistence of symptoms of anxiety and depression did not appear to impair youth's attitude toward teachers, school and peer relations more than symptoms of depression did alone.

The Interplay of Adolescents' Aggression and Victimization with Friendship and Antipathy Networks within an Educational Prosocial Intervention

How the interplay between peer relationships and behaviors unfolds and how this differs between classrooms is an understudied topic. This study examined whether adolescents befriend or dislike peers whom they consider as aggressor or victim and whether these results differ in classrooms that received an intervention to promote prosocial behavior compared to classrooms without the intervention. The sample was composed of 659 seventh graders (Mage = 12.32; 48% girls) from nine intervention and seven control classrooms in eight schools in Santiago, Chile. It was hypothesized that adolescents in intervention classrooms would be less befriended and more disliked by classmates who considered them as aggressors, and more befriended and less disliked by classmates who considered them as victims, compared to control classrooms. Longitudinal multiplex social network analyses (RSiena) indicate that antipathies toward peers considered as aggressive and victimized were significantly lower in intervention classrooms than in control classrooms, but no significant differences were found for friendships. These findings suggest that the impact of an educational intervention may go beyond changing individual behavior and extend to the way peer relations develop in classrooms.

Psychological Predictors of Bullying in Adolescents From Pluricultural Schools: A Transnational Study in Spain and Ecuador

This study aimed to analyze the levels of personal aggression and victimization, ethnic-cultural aggression and victimization, self-esteem, empathy, social skills and gender in adolescents as potential predictors of bullying in Spain and Ecuador. The wide pluricultural sample comprised secondary education students from both countries (N = 25,190, average age = 13.92, SD = 1.306; N_Spain = 14,437; N_Ecuador = 10,753), who took part in the study by filling in a self-report. The results revealed that predictive models of bullying for both countries explain 50–70% of variance. A transnational predictive pattern of personal victimization can be observed based on the levels of ethnic-cultural victimization, ethnic-cultural aggression, personal aggression, self-deprecation, and affective empathy. A transnational predictive pattern of personal aggression is evidenced depending on the levels of ethnic-cultural aggression, personal victimization, self-deprecation, ethnic-cultural victimization, and the fact of being female. We concluded that bullying can largely be predicted by involvement in ethnic-cultural discrimination. These results are discussed, and educational inferences are drawn for prevention.

Connecting Childhood Wariness to Adolescent Social Anxiety through the Brain and Peer Experiences

Wariness in early childhood manifests as shy, inhibited behavior in novel social situations and is associated with increased risk for developing social anxiety. In youth with childhood wariness, exposure to a potent social stressor, such as peer victimization, may potentiate brain-based sensitivity to unpredictable social contexts, thereby increasing risk for developing social anxiety. To test brain-based associations between early childhood wariness, self-reported peer victimization, and current social anxiety symptoms, we quantified neural responses to different social contexts in low- and high-victimized pre-adolescents with varying levels of early childhood wariness. Measures of early childhood wariness were obtained annually from ages 2-to-7-years. At age 11, participants were characterized as having low (N = 20) or high (N = 27) peer victimization. To index their neural responses to peer evaluation, participants completed an fMRI-based Virtual School paradigm (Jarcho et al. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 13, 21-31, 2013a). In highly victimized, relative to low-victimized participants, wariness was differentially related to right amygdala response based on the valence and predictability of peer evaluation. More specifically, in highly victimized participants, wariness was associated with greater right amygdala response to unpredictably positive peer evaluation. Effects of wariness were not observed in participants who reported low levels of victimization. Moreover, in victimized participants, high wariness and right amygdala response to unpredictably positive peer evaluation was associated with more severe social anxiety symptoms. Results can be interpreted using a diathesis-stress model, which suggests that neural response to unexpectedly positive social feedback is a mechanism by which exposure to peer victimization potentiates the risk for developing social anxiety in individuals exhibiting high levels of early childhood wariness.

Blunted Physiological Stress Reactivity among Youth with a History of Bullying and Victimization: Links to Depressive Symptoms

Bullying and peer victimization are stressful experiences for youth, and are associated with increased risk for psychopathology. Physiological differences in the body's stress response system may help us to understand vulnerability for depressive symptoms among youth involved with bullying. The current study examined both sympathetic and parasympathetic activity using skin conductance (SCL) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) at a neutral baseline and during Cyberball, a stressful social exclusion paradigm. Participants consisted of 175 youth in grades 6-11 (mean age 13.6 years, 51% girls). Multilevel modeling was used to examine changes in both positive and negative affect, and physiological stress reactivity over time. Logistic regression was used to examine the associations between bullying, victimization, and RSA on depressive symptoms. Peer victimization was negatively associated with resting RSA. Bullying others was negatively associated with SCL during Cyberball. Additionally, RSA reactivity during acute stress moderated the link between victimization and depressive symptoms. Victimization was more strongly associated with depressive symptoms when youth also demonstrated blunted RSA reactivity. These results suggest that both victimized youth and those who bully others have differences in their autonomic responses to acute stress. Individual differences in stress physiology may help us to understand vulnerability and resilience to depressive symptoms in the context of bullying and victimization.

Adolescents’ perceived mattering to parents and friends: Testing cross-lagged associations with psychosocial well-being

Mattering is the tendency to view the self as significant to other people. Theoretically, mattering has been proposed to promote psychosocial well-being. Although prior research has found positive associations between mattering to parents and psychosocial well-being among adolescents, extant studies have not clarified whether perceptions of mattering predict psychosocial well-being or the other way around. Thus, the direction of the association needs verification. The purpose of this study was to examine the direction of associations between adolescents’ mattering to parents and friends and adolescents’ depressive symptoms and problem behaviors using cross-lag models. A two-wave annual survey assessed mattering to family and friends, depressive symptoms, and problem behaviors of students in grades 6 to 9 ( N = 164; 56.1% girls) in a school district in western Canada (Time 1 age range = 11 to 15 years; mean age = 12.23; standard deviation = 1.07). Structural equation modeling was used to assess concurrent, auto-regressive, and cross-lagged associations between mattering and psychosocial well-being. Mattering to mother, father, and friends was assessed in separate models. Significant lags were found only between mattering to friends and depressive symptoms and problem behaviors, with positive associations suggesting a form of socialization through mattering. With one exception, mattering to parents was not directly associated with psychosocial well-being over time. However, gender moderated the association between mattering to mother (Time 1), depressive symptoms (Time 2), problem behaviors (Time 1), and mattering to mother (Time 2). Taken together, these results suggest that mattering may not be as strongly protective of adolescent well-being as previously suggested.