The Protective Role of Friendship Quality on the Wellbeing of Adolescents Victimized by Peers

Exploring the p-Factor in Adolescence: A Bifactor Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Approach and Its Association With Emerging Personality Pathology

INTRODUCTION

To account for the limitations of categorical taxonomies, a general psychopathology factor (p-factor) has been proposed as a transdiagnostic dimension that captures the shared variance across various forms of psychopathology. However, further research is required to clarify the specific characteristics that define the p-factor, particularly in adolescence - a period marked by heightened vulnerability to psychological disorders and significant developmental changes.

METHODS

This study utilized a sample of 1366 cisgender adolescents (56% assigned female at birth, Mage = 16.25, SD = 1.44) to examine the structure of the p-factor using Bifactor Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling. The study also explored the association between the p-factor and emerging personality pathology, focusing on self and interpersonal dimensions.

RESULTS

The p-factor was characterized by items reflecting negative affectivity, emotional dysregulation, and behavioral problems. Greater difficulties in self-related (e.g., sense of self, self-acceptance, and goals) and interpersonal dimensions (e.g., family relationships, aggression, and sexuality) were associated with higher levels of general psychopathology. A small but significant negative association was found between the quality of peer relationships and the p-factor, suggesting a potential protective role of friendships.

CONCLUSIONS

The study highlights the multifaceted nature of the p-factor, confirming its relevance in capturing general psychological maladjustment during adolescence. The p-factor demonstrated a double-edged nature, encapsulating externalizing (e.g., impulsive behaviors, aggression) and internalizing symptoms (e.g., feelings of inadequacy and guilt). These findings provide insights into the interplay between general psychopathology and personality pathology, supporting a model that integrates self and interpersonal dimensions to understand adolescent psychopathology.

Satisfaction with friendship support protects autistic youth from the negative effects of peer victimization

Autistic youth experience higher rates of peer victimization than their non-autistic peers. While there is some evidence that friendships may protect against the negative mental health effects of peer victimization in the general population, these protective effects have not been examined in autistic youth. The current study explored whether satisfaction with friendship support is associated with depressive symptoms among autistic youth, and whether satisfaction with friendship support buffers against the negative effects of peer victimization on mental health. Autistic youth (N = 224) between the ages of 15 and 25 years (M = 18.68 years) completed questionnaires measuring frequency of peer victimization, satisfaction with friendship support, and depressive symptoms. Satisfaction with friendship support was not associated with depressive symptoms; however, the effect of peer victimization on depressive symptoms was attenuated for youth who were more satisfied with their friendship support compared to youth who were less satisfied with their friendship support. The results of the current study therefore highlight the potential for promoting mental health of autistic youth through reducing peer victimization and increasing satisfaction with peer relationships.Lay AbstractAutistic youth are more likely to be bullied than youth who are not on the autism spectrum. Youth in the general population who are bullied experience poor mental health, but those who are satisfied with their friendships may be protected from these negative outcomes. No studies have looked at how friendships affect the mental health of autistic youth who are bullied by their peers. Autistic youth completed questionnaires that asked them to report how frequently they were bullied, whether they were satisfied with the support they received from friends, and depressive symptoms they experienced. Depressive symptoms did not differ between youth who were more satisfied and youth who were less satisfied with their friendship support. However, among youth who were frequently bullied, depressive symptoms were lower for those who were more satisfied with their friendship support compared to those who were less satisfied with their friendship support. This study shows that interventions are needed to support the mental health of autistic youth by decreasing bullying by peers and increasing positive peer relationships.

Cumulative Family Risk and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Friendship Quality

Family risk is inimical to adolescent development. The relationship between cumulative family risk and adolescent depressive symptoms was explored in the current study, with friendship quality examined as a moderator of the relationship. A sample of 595 seventh-grade students was tracked at 10-month intervals. Results suggested that exposure to cumulative family risk predicted adolescents' current and subsequent depressive symptoms, and that there was a linear, additive relationship between cumulative family risk and depressive symptoms. Friendship quality moderated the linear relationship between cumulative family risk and adolescents' current depressive symptoms. It is worth noting that the protective role of friendship quality is limited. The results highlight that the detrimental impact of family risk needs to be recognized and addressed.

Peer victimization, internalizing problems, and satisfaction with friends: A two-wave analysis of individual and class-level associations in adolescence

Peer victimization has long been recognized as a significant issue among adolescents, with potentially harmful consequences for their psychological and social well-being. However, studies adopting a longitudinal, multilevel approach to explore the complexity of peer victimization dynamics are still lacking. This study aimed to test short-term longitudinal associations between peer victimization, internalizing problems, and satisfaction with friends over the course of 6 months. The sample included 1299 adolescents at T1 (48.3% female adolescents, Mage = 13.6 years) attending 67 school classes. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires administered at two time-points during the same school year. Multivariate multilevel analysis indicated that, at the individual level, T2 victimization was positively predicted by T1 internalizing problems (proportional reduction in variance [PRV] = 0.7%) and negatively by satisfaction with friends (PRV = 1.6%), whereas internalizing problems at T2 were predicted by peer victimization at T1 (PRV = 0.7%). Satisfaction with friends was negatively predicted by peer victimization (PRV = 3.6%). At the class level, T2 victimization was more likely in classrooms with lower levels of satisfaction with friends in the fall (PRV = 15%). Moreover, class-level ethnic diversity contributed to explain between-class variability in satisfaction with friends (PRV = 9.1%). These findings highlight the need for interventions that promote positive peer relationships and provide support for victimized adolescents to reduce internalizing problems. Additionally, they underscore the importance of fostering friendship quality as a protective factor against victimization.

Too many friends, too little care: an exploration of the relational benefits and costs of friendship for academic self-efficacy, depression and anxiety in adolescence

Our paper explores in a large Romanian sample (2168 adolescents) the relational costs and benefits of the number of friends at school. Using the MEDCURVE procedure to test the non-linear mediation effects, our results show that psychological safety, bullying and negative relations mediate the association between the number of friends and depression and anxiety, while social acceptance and bullying mediate the association between the number of friends and academic self-efficacy. In general, our results show that the relational benefits of friendship tend to diminish as the number of friends increase, in general over 9 friends (depending on the relational state) and parents, teachers and school counselors should help adolescents manage their number of friends in order to prevent the relational costs associated with engaging in too many (superficial) friendships.

Promoting Peer Connectedness Through Social-Emotional Learning: Evaluating the Intervention Effect Mechanisms and Implementation Factors of a Social-Emotional Learning Programme for 9 to 12-Year-Olds

There is little evidence regarding the effect mechanisms of social-emotional learning programs on children's peer relationships. The current study evaluated a novel school-based social-emotional learning program for the first year of secondary school assessing effects on social-emotional skills, peer connectedness, happiness, student and teacher classroom climate. The sample included 19 intervention classrooms (n = 399) and 16 waitlist-control classrooms (n = 281), with a mean age of 10.34 (SD = 0.76) and 48.8% girls. The main intervention effect analysis followed a per-protocol approach and was thus conducted with eight classes that finished all sessions (n = 195) and the control group classes (n = 281). It was further hypothesized that increases in social-emotional skills would predict peer connectedness and class climate increases, which would predict happiness. Results indicated significant intervention effects for social skills, peer connectedness and happiness. Classroom climate declined for both groups, seemingly affected by the school transition. Hypothesized relationships between target variables were partly supported with significant effects of social-emotional skills on connectedness and significant effects of peer connectedness on happiness for children reporting connectedness decreases. Additional analyses were conducted including all classrooms to compare the intervention's effectiveness across different implementation progress groups. Significant group differences were found, indicating that implementation aspects impact intervention outcomes. The findings indicate that universal, school-based social-emotional leaning programs are effective approaches to support peer relationships in the context of the school transition. However, more implementation support seems to be needed to ensure best-practice delivery and achieve maximal intervention effectiveness.

A prospective study of the relative contribution of adolescent peer support quantity and quality to depressive symptoms

BACKGROUND

During adolescence, peer support has an increasingly important role in identity formation and well-being. Prior research has identified that lack of social support from peers in adolescence is a potent risk factor for depression. Two ways that social support has been operationalized is by the number of one's friends (i.e., 'quantity') and perception of one's network (i.e., 'quality'). Typically, these aspects of peer support are assessed separately.

METHODS

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 3,857), this study sought to test whether (1) adolescent depression relates to having fewer friends versus lower quality friendships, (2) these aspects of adolescent peer support prospectively predict depression in adulthood, (3) gender moderates the effects of peer support on depression, and (4) these aspects of peer support buffer the effects of stressful life events on depression.

RESULTS

Peer support quality uniquely predicted depression in adolescence and adulthood among both males and females. The effect of peer support quality on depressive symptoms, however, was greater for females than males. By contrast, peer support quantity did not uniquely predict depression for males or females.

CONCLUSIONS

Qualitative aspects of adolescent peer support uniquely contribute to mental health not only in adolescence, but in adulthood as well. Potential processes through which peer support relates to depression are discussed, as well as implications for treatment.

A four-level meta-analytic review of the relationship between social media and well-being: a fresh perspective in the context of COVID-19

Social media, one of the most pervasive forms of technology, has been widely studied in relation to the mental health and well-being of individuals. However, the current literature on social media and well-being has provided mixed and inconclusive findings, thus creating a polarizing view of social media. These mixed findings continue to extend into the pandemic, with researchers debating over the effects of social media in the new norms of social isolation. In light of these inconclusive findings, the aim of our meta-analysis was to synthesize previous research data in order to have a holistic understanding of the association between social media and well-being, particularly in the present context of COVID-19. The current meta-analysis systematically investigated 155 effect sizes from 42 samples drawn from 38 studies published during the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 43,387) and examined the potential moderators in the relationship between social media and well-being, such as the different operationalizations of social media usage and demographics. Overall, our study found that the relationship between social media usage and well-being was not significant in the context of COVID-19. Additionally, the impact of various moderators on the relationship between social media and well-being was found to vary. We discuss the various theoretical, methodological and practical implications of these findings and highlight areas where further research is necessary to shed light on the complex and nuanced relationship between social media and well-being.

Childhood Maltreatment and Adolescents' Aggression: A Moderated Mediation Model of Callous-Unemotional Traits and Friendship Quality

A growing body of research has documented that childhood maltreatment is associated with increased risk of child aggression. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying the relationships between childhood maltreatment and reactive and proactive functions of aggression. Therefore, the present study examined whether callous-unemotional traits mediated the relationships between childhood maltreatment and two subtypes of aggression and whether these mediating processes were moderated by friendship quality. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2407 adolescents between 11 and 16 years (M _age = 12.75, SD = .58) in Shanxi province, China. Participants filled out questionnaires regarding childhood maltreatment, callous-unemotional traits, aggression, and friendship quality. The results indicated that childhood maltreatment was significantly and positively associated with proactive and reactive aggression, and these relationships were partially mediated by callous-unemotional traits after controlling for demographic variables. Friendship quality moderated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and proactive aggression as well as callous-unemotional traits and proactive aggression. These relationships became weaker for adolescents with high levels of friendship quality. Friendship quality did not moderate the effects of childhood maltreatment and callous-unemotional traits on reactive aggression.

U.S. adolescents' attitudes toward school, social connection, media use, and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Differences as a function of gender identity and school context

The COVID-19 pandemic changed school contexts and social opportunities dramatically for adolescents around the world. Thus, certain adolescents may have been more susceptible to the stress of the pandemic as a function of differences in schooling. We present data from 1256 United States adolescents (ages 14-16) to examine how the 2020-2021 school context (in-person, hybrid, or virtual) related to feelings of school satisfaction and success, social connection, mental health, and media use. We also examine differences as a function of gender identity. Results demonstrate that school context, particularly in-person compared to virtual schooling, was related to higher school satisfaction and academic success, stronger feelings of social connection and inclusion, lower levels of anxiety and depression, and less problematic media use. Interestingly, adolescents did seem to use media as a tool to support social connection when in hybrid or virtual school contexts, but they also reported higher rates of problematic media use, thus suggesting that media use needs to be examined more carefully to understand its role as a potential protective mechanism for adolescents' social connection and mental health. These findings provide baseline information about how schools' responses to the COVID-19 pandemic may have created disparities among youth. These findings have implications for current school interventions.

The relation of school achievement with self-esteem and bullying in Chilean children

Self-esteem and bullying and academic achievement measures are related in Western countries. However, evidence from other culture spaces is extremely sparse. To fill this gap, here, we analyze a wide range of relevant measures from 8,381 8- to 12-year-old Latin American children enrolled in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey in Chile. We considered the relationship of math achievement, receptive vocabulary, Grade Point Average (GPA), self-esteem and bullying. We found positive relationships between most achievement measures, and a negative relationship between self-esteem and bullying. Unlike the international literature, we found a stronger relationship between self-esteem and GPA, and a weaker relationship between bullying and GPA. Findings suggest that children’s learning and their experiences at school are connected. Results provide useful information for stakeholders.

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.

Social integration of adolescents with chronic pain: a social network analysis

RESULTS

showed that ACPs were not less popular than adolescents without chronic pain. Second, ACPs nominated each other more often as being part of the same peer group. Third, results regarding friendship quality showed that adolescents with more pain problems perceived the relationship with their friends as less positive (e.g., support) and more negative (e.g., conflict) than adolescents with less pain problems. Finally, positive and negative friendship quality moderated the relationship between pain and emotional distress.The current study contributes to the literature on the importance of ACPs' peer relationships. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Bullying victimization and suicidal ideation among adolescents: The mediating role of psychological suzhi and the moderating role of perceived school climate

This study explores the association between bullying victimization and suicidal ideation and determines the mediating role of psychological suzhi and the moderating role of perceived school climate. 855 (Nboy = 417, Ngirl = 438; Mage=13.18, SD = .78) students in this study from grade 7 to grade 9 completed questionnaires of the mentioned study variables. The results indicated that bullying victimization positively predicted adolescents' suicidal ideation. Psychological suzhi partially mediated the effect of bullying victimization on suicidal ideation. However, for adolescents with higher levels of perceived school climate, bullying victimization was correlated more strongly with suicidal ideation and weaker with psychological suzhi. Results meant that the more frequent and more severe the bullying, the higher the likelihood of suicidal ideation among adolescents. Psychological suzhi may act as a potential mechanism through which bullying victimization leads to suicidal ideation, nevertheless, perceived school climate not only buffered bullying victimization's effects on suicidal ideation, but also protected psychological suzhi from the negative influence of bullying.

Digital Social Multitasking (DSMT), Friendship Quality, and Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Among Adolescents: Perceptions as Mediators

Most existing research assumes "phone use during face-to-face interactions" to be psychosocially detrimental. Drawing on the digital social multitasking framework, this study explored not only the negative but also positive implications of the behavior. A sample of 517 adolescents (M_age = 14.83, S.D. = 1.93; 50% female) recruited through the Qualtrics panel completed an online survey. Results showed that adolescents' and their friend's digital social multitasking were both associated with (1) greater perceived efficiency, which, in turn, was associated with competence need satisfaction, and (2) greater perceived connection, which, in turn, was associated with better friendship quality, autonomy need satisfaction, and relatedness need satisfaction. Adolescents' own multitasking also had an indirect, negative relationship with friendship quality through perceived distraction, but friend's multitasking did not compromise friendship quality. The study provides a more balanced picture, showing that despite the potential harm of digital social multitasking, adolescents' phone use during face-to-face peer interactions also involves potential benefits for teens' psychosocial well-being.

Longitudinal associations among adolescents' internalizing problems, well-being, and the quality of their relationships with their mothers, fathers, and close friends

RATIONALE

Internalizing problems (i.e., depressive and anxiety symptoms) are known to decrease adolescents' well-being, but knowledge about potential underlying mechanisms is limited. The qualities of adolescents' most proximal relationships with their parents and close friends are expected to play a role in the association between adolescents' internalizing problems and well-being.

OBJECTIVE

The present study was conducted to 1) investigate the indirect longitudinal association between internalizing problems and adolescents' well-being via the quality of adolescents' relationships with both their mothers and fathers and their close friends, and 2) test whether our findings were gender invariant.

METHODS

Data were collected via online questionnaires in two waves at a 12-month interval from adolescents attending three secondary schools in the Netherlands (N = 1298; M age = 13.7 years, 53.2% girls). The data were analyzed using a two-wave cross-lagged panel model in R. Multigroup analyses were performed to examine the gender invariance of the findings.

RESULTS

After controlling for baseline levels, results showed that (1) girls, but not boys, who reported more internalizing problems at T1 had lower well-being at T2; (2) girls and boys who reported more internalizing problems at T1 had lower-quality relationships with their mothers, fathers, and close friends at T2; and (3) boys, but not girls, who reported higher-quality friendships at T1 had higher well-being at T2. However, no significant indirect effects between internalizing problems and well-being via the quality of adolescents' relationships with their parents and close friends were detected.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study contributes to understanding internalizing problems as an important risk factor to the quality of adolescents' proximal social relationships (parents, friends) and their well-being. The findings support the importance of building high-quality relationships, particularly friendships, and recommend future research to study adolescents' internalizing problems and well-being including gender-specific examinations.

The Complex Nature of School Violence: Attitudes Toward Aggression, Empathy and Involvement Profiles in Violence

Background

Aggressive behavior in adolescents has become a concern in education, where adapting to and going through high school may generate important behavior problems in adolescents.

Purpose

Analyze the relationships between parental and adolescent attitudes toward aggression and empathy. Identify profiles of direct and indirect involvement in school violence and determine differences between groups with respect to the components of empathy and attitudes toward aggression.

Methods

The sample was comprised of 1287 high school students who were administered the Beliefs about Aggression and Alternatives questionnaire, the Parental Support for Fighting and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index.

Results

The results show that beliefs in favor of the use of aggression in adolescents correlate positively with the perception of strong support from parents for aggression in response to conflict. Similarly, higher levels of support for the use of nonviolent strategies are positively related to the perception of strong support from parents. The relationships established with the components of empathy analyzed, both cognitive and emotional, were negatively correlated with favorable attitudes toward aggression. Results concerning the groups directly involved indicated that there were significant differences in the components of empathy between the groups. Furthermore, the multivariate analysis applied to the direct involvement groups showed significant differences between the groups in taking perspective. Between-group differences in empathic concern were also statistically significant for the group of active observers.

Conclusion

Taking perspective and empathic concern are moderating variables both for observers and victims and their parents in situations of violence.

Naturalistic development of trait mindfulness: A longitudinal examination of victimization and supportive relationships in early adolescence

Scholars have only just begun to examine elements of young adolescents' social ecologies that explain naturalistic variation in trait mindfulness and its development over time. We argue that trait mindfulness develops as a function of chronically encountered ecologies that are likely to foster or thwart the repeated enactment of mindful states over time. Using data from 4,593 fourth and seventh grade students (50% female; MageG4 = 9.02; 71% English first language) from 32 public school districts in British Columbia (BC), Canada, we examined links from peer belonging, connectedness with adults at home, and peer victimization to mindfulness over time. Variable-centered analyses indicated that young adolescents with lower victimization in fourth grade reported higher mindfulness in seventh grade, and that cross-sectionally within seventh grade victimization, peer belonging, and connectedness with adults at home were each associated with mindfulness. Contrary to our hypothesis, connectedness with adults at home moderated the longitudinal association between victimization and mindfulness such that the negative association was stronger among young adolescents with high (vs. low) levels of connectedness with adults at home. Person-centered analysis of the fourth graders' data confirmed our variable-centered findings, yielding four latent classes of social ecology whose mindfulness levels in seventh grade largely tracked with their victimization levels (from highest to lowest mindfulness): (1) flourishing relationships, (2) unvictimized but weak relationships with adults, (3) moderately victimized but strong relationships, and (4) victimized but strong relationships. Overall, our findings contribute to a growing body of evidence indicating that trait mindfulness may develop as a function of ecologically normative experiences in young adolescents' everyday lives.

Hungry for inclusion: Exposure to peer victimization and heightened social monitoring in adolescent girls

Belonging to a social group is one of the most important factors contributing to well-being. The Belonging Regulation model proposes that humans possess a social monitoring system (SMS) that evaluates social inclusion and monitors belonging needs. Here, we used a prospective longitudinal design to examine links between peer victimization experienced across 7 years and social monitoring at the behavioral and neural level in adolescent girls (n = 38, Mage = 15.43 years, SD = .33). Participants completed a social evaluation task during a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. More severe peer victimization was associated with increased activation to in-group versus out-group peers in the amygdala, ventral striatum, fusiform gyrus, and temporoparietal junction. Moreover, participants who displayed increased activation in these regions reported lower social self esteem and higher levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. These results suggest that exposure to peer victimization across the school years is associated with heightened social monitoring at the neural level during adolescence, which has potential adverse implications for girls' adjustment and well-being.

The role of relational support in the longitudinal links between adolescent sexual harassment victimization and psychological health

The links between sexual harassment victimization and aspects of psychopathology are well-established in adolescent research, but whether sexual harassment victimization undermines positive aspects of psychological health and the moderating role of relational support in the link between sexual harassment victimization and psychological ill-health remains unknown. Using a cross-lagged model, we examined (a) the bidirectional and longitudinal links between sexual harassment victimization and adolescent psychological health (emotional problems and well-being) and (b) the moderating role of relational support from parents, teachers, and peers (best friends and classmates) in the link between sexual harassment victimization and adolescent psychological health. We used two waves of self-reported data (separated by 1 year) from 676 Swedish adolescents (50% female; mean age = 13.85 years at the point of first data collection). Controlling for the effects of gender and subjective socioeconomic status, the cross-lagged model revealed that sexual harassment predicted emotional problems positively and well-being negatively. Moreover, well-being predicted sexual harassment negatively. Relational support from classmates moderated the link in the direction from sexual harassment victimization to emotional problems. Relational support did not moderate the link to well-being. The findings provide new and important insights into the role of sexual harassment victimization in adolescent psychological adjustment and potential approaches to intervention.

Examining the Moderating Role of Social Bonds in the Relationship between School Victimization and Educational Attainment

School victimization affects a relatively small proportion of students each year, but this victimization may have long-term effects on a child's life trajectory, including graduating high school and enrolling in college. Social bond theory posits that bonds - like commitment and involvement - may buffer the harmful effects of victimization. This research uses the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (n = 16,197) to examine the moderating role of social bonds between school victimization and these measures of educational attainment. The results of the study using moderation showed that student victimization does not affect graduating high school nor enrolling in college. The relationship between student victimization and these educational outcomes is partially moderated by involvement, but not commitment.

Poor Motor Performance - Do Peers Matter? Examining the Role of Peer Relations in the Context of the Environmental Stress Hypothesis

The aim of the current study was to investigate pathways of the Environmental Stress Hypothesis concerning the role of peer relations in the context of poor motor skills. First, we examined (1) the mediating role of peer problems in the association between motor performance in daily activities and internalizing problems as a main pathway of the Environmental Stress Hypothesis. Furthermore, we explored the role of (2) children's popularity as a mediator and (3) best friendship quality as a moderator path of the effect of motor performance on both peer problems and internalizing problems. The non-clinical sample of the present study consisted of 189 children (48.6% females) aged 9-11 years (M_age = 9.69, SD_age = 0.46). Parents reported on their child's motor performance in daily activities by completing the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used to assess peer problems as well as internalizing problems. The Self Description Questionnaire provided a measure of children's self-reported popularity. The Friendship Quality Questionnaire was used to investigate children's best friendship quality. Results of a structural equation model suggest that peer problems fully mediated the association between the motor performance in daily activities and both popularity and internalizing problems. However, no evidence for the mediating effect of popularity in the association between peer problems and internalizing problems was found. Further, best friendship quality had a non-significant moderating effect on the relation between peer problems and internalizing problems. The mediating role of peer problems highlights the importance of peer relations in the motor performance of daily activities. Schools and psychomotor interventions were suggested as practical implications to support children with poor motor performance in their relationship with their peers and to improve their motor performance in daily activities.

Gender expansive youth disclosure and mental health: Clinical implications of gender identity disclosure

Some healthcare providers work with gender expansive youth, and preliminary evidence notes that many of these youth do not disclose their gender identity to all of their healthcare providers. No previous research focused on youth has explored gender identity disclosure to healthcare providers, nor linked youth disclosure to negative mental health outcomes (e.g., symptoms of depression). Data were drawn from the LGBTQ National Teen Survey in order to test the relationship between gender identity disclosure, symptoms of depression, and self-esteem among 5,637 13- to 17-year old (M _age = 15.6) participants who identified as transgender boys, transgender girls, non-binary youth who were assigned female at birth (AFAB), or assigned male non-binary youth who were assigned male at birth (AMAB). Transgender boys reported the highest symptoms of depression and the lowest levels of self-esteem in comparison to other groups. Among the full sample, 66.8% had not disclosed their gender identity healthcare providers-non-binary AMAB youth were least likely to disclose (77.6%). Symptoms of depression were the highest and self-esteem was the lowest for transgender boys with mixed levels of disclosure. Transgender girls reported the lowest symptoms of depression - these youth had also disclosed their identities the most. Findings suggest that mixed disclosure to healthcare providers is problematic for gender expansive youth, especially transgender boys. Findings suggest a need to better prepare health professionals to understand not all gender expansive youth may feel comfortable disclosing their gender identities in medical contexts. Future research should explore gender affirmative healthcare as a potential protective factor in combatting negative mental health outcomes.

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.

Discrimination, Parent-Adolescent Conflict, and Peer Intimacy: Examining Risk and Resilience in Mexican-Origin Youths' Adjustment Trajectories

Peer discrimination and parent-adolescent conflict in early adolescence were examined as predictors of depressive symptoms and risky behaviors from early to late adolescence using four waves of data over an 8-year period from a sample of 246 Mexican-origin adolescents (MTime 1 age  = 12.55, SD = 0.58; 51% female). The buffering effect of friendship intimacy and moderating role of adolescent gender were tested. Higher levels of discrimination and conflict in early adolescence were associated with higher initial levels of depressive symptoms and risky behaviors in early adolescence and stability through late adolescence. For females who reported higher than average discrimination, friendship intimacy had a protective effect on their depressive symptoms.

Prosocial Behavior and Friendship Quality as Moderators of the Association Between Anxious Withdrawal and Peer Experiences in Portuguese Young Adolescents

Anxious withdrawal has been associated consistently with adverse peer experiences. However, research has also shown that there is significant heterogeneity among anxiously withdrawn youth. Further, extant research has focused primarily on negative peer experiences and outcomes; little is known about the more successful social experiences of anxiously withdrawn youth. We explored the possibility that the association between anxious withdrawal and group-level peer outcomes (exclusion, victimization, and popularity) might be moderated by peer-valued behaviors (prosocial behavior), friendship relational attributes, and sex, even after accounting for the effects of being involved in a reciprocal best friendship. Peer nominations of psychosocial functioning, and self-reports of best friendships and friendship quality were collected in a community sample of 684 Portuguese young adolescents. Regression analyses revealed that more anxious withdrawn adolescents showed worst group-level peer outcomes, but that: (a) prosocial behavior buffered the positive association between anxious-withdrawal and peer exclusion, particularly for boys; (b) higher friendship quality was associated with lower risk of peer victimization for more anxious-withdrawn girls, but with a higher risk for more anxious withdrawn boys; and (c) higher friendship conflict buffered the positive association between anxious withdrawal and peer exclusion for boys. Results are discussed in terms of the implications of peer-valued characteristics on the peer group experiences of anxiously withdrawn young adolescents.

The role of co-rumination and adrenocortical attunement in young women's close friendships

Attunement, or synchrony, of behavior and physiology has been well documented in family, mother-child, and romantic relationships. This study aimed to determine whether attunement of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis occurs in women's close friendships, and the role of a common social style, co-rumination in that attunement. Saliva samples (later assayed for cortisol) were collected from 37 dyads (74 individuals) during a laboratory task in which they were either asked to work together toward a common goal (control task) or discuss interpersonal problems, providing opportunity for co-rumination. Findings suggest that friends demonstrated adrenocortical attunement prior to engaging in either task, and that the level of attunement prior to the task predicted co-rumination and its components for both groups. Co-rumination, in turn, predicted adrenocortical attunement after the task. These findings suggest that bidirectional attunement of HPA activity may serve a bonding function within women's close friendships. Implications for how these findings fit with the tend-and-befriend hypothesis are discussed.

The Protective Role of Friends in the Link between Daily Cyber Victimization and Adjustment Problems among Predominately Latino Adolescents

The current study examined whether friendship factors, including time spent with friends and perceived friendship quality, moderate daily associations between cyber victimization and adolescent adjustment (i.e., distress, anger, attendance problems, perceived school safety). The study focuses on the experiences of predominately Latino youth, as they remain an understudied group in cyber victimization research. Participants included 136 high school students (88% Latino) who completed daily checklists across five consecutive school days. Hierarchical linear modeling results revealed that time spent with friends moderated the associations between cyber victimization with distress, anger and attendance problems. For example, on days that adolescents did not spend time with their friends, there was a significant link between cyber victimization and feelings of anger. For adolescents who did spend time with their friends during the day, this association did not exist. Friendship quality only buffered the negative association between daily cyber victimization and feelings of distress.

Bullying victimization experiences among middle and high school adolescents: Traditional bullying, discriminatory harassment, and cybervictimization

The objectives of the current study were to estimate the prevalence of nine types of bullying victimization among adolescents in Grades 7 to 12, and examine how these experiences vary according to gender and school grade. Data were drawn from the Manitoba Youth Health Survey. The sample size was N = 64 174 and included boys and girls from Grades 7 to 12. Nine types of bullying victimization were assessed. Gender and grade differences were noted with girls being more to likely than boys to report six types of victimization. The odds of bullying victimization were higher in Grades 8 to 12 compared to Grade 7. Effective anti-bullying intervention strategies need to address a range of victimization types and should consider gender and school grade. Interventions should start before Grade 7 and continue until the end of Grade 12.

Patterns of Bullying and Sexual Harassment: Connections with Parents and Teachers as Direct Protective Factors

Involvement in bullying and sexual harassment in adolescence is associated with a variety of internalizing, externalizing, and health-risk behaviors. Yet, the two behaviors are often studied independently. The current study examined how bullying and sexual harassment co-occur and whether social connections protected youth from risk patterns. The data for this study come from the 2013 Minnesota Student Survey (N = 121,311; 50% female, 74% White, 26% received free or reduced-price lunch; M _age = 14.9, SD = 1.3). Students reported on bullying and sexual harassment victimization and perpetration. Using latent class analysis, youth were classified into five patterns: High-Risk of All Forms of Victimization and Perpetration (7%), Relational and Cyberbullying Victimization (17%), Sexual Harassment Victimization and Perpetration (8%), Physical Bullying Perpetration (6%), and Low-Risk (62%). Compared to the low-risk class, the four other classes had lower levels of social connections, particularly with teachers and parents. Older youth (9th and 11th grade students) were at greater risk for the sexual harassment pattern, while younger youth (8th grade students) were at greater risk for bullying patterns. The results indicate that efforts to reduce bullying should also address sexual harassment and social connections with adults.

Pathways to Reciprocated Friendships: A Cross-Lagged Panel Study on Young Adolescents' Anger Regulation towards Friends

Adolescents' close friendships are an important and unique learning context in which adolescents can practice and hone their emotion regulation skills within an egalitarian, supportive relationship structure that provides important feedback on the effectiveness of the regulation strategies. This longitudinal study examined whether adolescents' involvement in supportive reciprocal friendships influenced the way in which they regulated angry feelings arising in these friendships. A sample of 299 German adolescents began a 30-month, 3-wave longitudinal study in grade 7 (151 boys, M age = 12.6 years; 100% White). They completed a social network inventory (LueNIC), a peer-nomination measure, and the questionnaire on Strategies of Anger Regulation for Adolescents (SAR-A) in every wave. Cross-lagged-panel modeling indicated a pattern of socialization effects even when controlling for previous friendship involvement, previous anger regulation, peer acceptance, gender, classroom membership, and possible friendship selection influences. Adolescents with more reciprocal friends at Time 1 (T1) reported using aggressive strategies of anger regulation (i.e., verbal and relational aggression, fantasies of revenge) and ignoring the friend less often at Time 2 (T2). Similar results were obtained between T2 and Time 3 (T3). There was a marginally significant effect for one of three non-aggressive strategies such that a higher involvement in friendships at T2 explained more reappraisal of the anger-eliciting event at T3 but significant effects did not emerge for the strategies of redirection of attention and explanation and reconciliation. The results are discussed within a socialization of emotion framework with implications for social skills training modules.