A Latent Growth Curve Analysis of Early and Increasing Peer Victimization as Predictors of Mental Health across Elementary School

Abstract

Peer victimization has been implicated as a traumatic stressor that compromises children's longterm mental health, yet a dearth of prospective research specifically demonstrates lasting effects of early victimization. This research examined whether early (2 nd grade) victimization and increasing (2 nd -5 th grade) victimization independently predicted depressive symptoms and aggressive behavior (overt and relational) in 5 th grade. Participants included 433 children (238 girls, 195 boys). Children reported on peer victimization and depressive symptoms; teachers reported on peer victimization and aggressive behavior. Latent growth curve analysis revealed that both early and increasing victimization made unique contributions to subsequent depressive symptoms and aggressive behavior. Relational aggression was particularly likely to follow victimization in girls.Over the past two decades, developmental scientists have increasingly implicated peer victimization as a major public health concern (Graham, 2006;Hawker & Boulton, 2000), sparking the emergence of a large number of prevention programs aimed at containing bullying and its negative effects. In large part, this concern stems from the idea that peer victimization exerts a lasting influence on mental health. Although some short-term prospective research links peer victimization with subsequent mental health problems, few studies systematically examine the relative contributions of early versus increasing victimization to mental health across a significant developmental period. Consequently, it is difficult to determine whether early exposure to peer victimization has long-term consequences beyond children's recent social experiences. The present study used a dualinformant longitudinal design to examine whether both early victimization and changes in victimization across the elementary school years predicted subsequent mental health difficulties, specifically depressive symptoms and aggressive behavior. Mental Health Consequences of Peer VictimizationChildren exposed to victimization at the hands of their peers may react in diverse ways. They may feel a sense of helplessness and attribute this maltreatment to their own deficiencies, potentially compromising their self-worth and precipitating depressive NIH Public Access (Graham & Juvonen, 1998;Troop-Gordon & Ladd, 2005). Alternatively, they may feel a sense of injustice and attribute this maltreatment to the hostility of their peers, potentially inciting anger and efforts to retaliate or to re-establish their status in the peer group through aggressive behavior (Mahady Wilton & Craig, 2000;Salmivalli, Karhunen, & Lagerspetz, 1996;Troop-Gordon & Ladd, 2005). Consistent with these ideas, prospective longitudinal research reveals that victimization contributes to subsequent depressive symptoms (Nylund, Bellmore, Nishina, & Graham, 2007;Prinstein, Boergers, & Vernberg, 2001;Sweeting, Young, West, & Der, 2006), as well as aggression (Hanish & Guerra, 2002;Lamarche et al., 2007;Ladd & Troop-Gordon, 2003;Rusby...

Peer Victimization and Internalizing Symptoms From Adolescence Into Young Adulthood: Building Strength Through Emotional Support

“…Research consistently shows that peer victimization, the experience of being a target of a peer's bullying and aggressive behavior, is associated with increases in internalizing symptoms in children and in adolescents (Reijntjes, Kamphuis, Prinzie, & Telch, 2010;Rudolph, Troop-Gordon, Hessel, & Schmidt, 2011;Stadler, Feifel, Rohrmann, Vermeiren, & Poustka, 2010;Ttofi, Farrington, Lösel, & Loeber, 2011;Van Oort, Greaves-Lord, Ormel, Verhulst, & Huizink, 2011). Reciprocal effects of depression on victimization have also been observed in young children (Leadbeater & Hoglund, 2009).…”

The Association Between Relational Aggression and Internalizing Symptoms: A Review and Meta-Analysis

“…There are several reasons why a summary would be helpful. Some research has found that RA is substantially associated with internalizing problems (Leadbeater et al, 2006;Poteat & Espelage, 2005), whereas other studies have not (Putallaz et al, 2007;Rudolph, Troop-Gordon, Hessel, & Schmidt, 2011). A formal compilation of results would give a clearer sense of the association, based on the literature as a whole.…”

Bullying Adolescents With Intellectual Disability

“…We did not, however, examine the effects of being bullied on the youth. Although research on bullying in typically developing youth points to many adverse psychological, social, and academic effects (Nishina et al, 2005;Rudolph, 2011), it remains unclear whether or not the adverse effects of bullying are even more severe for adolescents with ID. As a result of their cognitive delays, adolescents with ID may be less able to make sense of victimization and reframe why they may have been bullied.…”