Peer victimization in adolescence: The nature, progression, and consequences of being bullied within a developmental context^☆

Abstract

Since Dan Olweus's seminal work on bullying in the 1970's (Olweus, 1978), there has been a concerted effort by investigators to identify the confluence of factors that contribute to peer victimization and its role in psychosocial development. Although the cause and consequences of peer victimization may include underlying, age-invariant processes, the manifestation of these factors is, in part, driven by the developmental stage being studied. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of peer victimization requires an explicit developmental perspective. This paper examines how peer victimization in adolescence is unique from other developmental periods. Changes in the nature of peer victimization, associated risk factors, the contexts in which victimization is experienced, and the psychosocial outcomes affected are addressed. A primary focus is how maturational processes and interpersonal contexts characteristic of adolescence contribute to changes in victimization, with the objective of informing future research directions and the development of effective interventions.

Impact of the Friendly Schools whole‐school intervention on transition to secondary school and adolescent bullying behaviour

“…They may also have failed to address the differences between primary and secondary students' peer relationship dynamics and development Troop-Gordon, 2017). Compared to pre-adolescents, adolescents value and benefit more from autonomy support (Chirkov & Ryan, 2001), conform less to rules, place greater importance on peer acceptance and conformity with group norms (LaFontana & Cillessen, 2010) and have more "pro-bully" and less "pro-victim" attitudes (Duffy & Nesdale, 2009;.…”

Longitudinal Links Between Adolescent Social Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms: Testing the Mediational Effects of Cybervictimization

“…There are several ways in which victimization in particular might be harmful in terms of co-morbidity between social anxiety and depressive symptoms. Research indicates that displaying symptoms of depression or anxiety toward peers might send a signal of weakness during a phase when many young people want to exercise authority against those who appear weaker-thus prompting early adolescents to victimize more depressed and anxious peers [15]. Indeed, peer-related difficulties are closely related to social anxiety [2], and social anxiety is a well-known risk factor for victimization [16].…”

“…Perhaps boys' demonstration of depressive symptoms left them more vulnerable to cyberbullying compared to girls, whose depressive symptoms might be more accepted bearing in mind current gender stereotypes. In addition, even though we do not know who the adolescents were chatting with, there is a high likelihood that they knew their cyberbullies offline as well, as adolescents who are victimized at school tend to be victimized by the same schoolmates in online settings [15]-and this might be particularly true for boys.…”

“…Because early adolescent social anxiety and depressive symptoms likely precede social anxiety disorder as well as major depressive disorder later on in life [6,7], understanding more about the co-morbidity between them is therefore of consequence if future problems are to be prevented. Early adolescence also signifies a distinct change in social dynamics that seems to foster victimization by peers [15]. Despite some arguments that cyberbullying might be over-rated as a phenomenon [see e.g., 48], studies on cybervictimization indicate that it is linked to particular emotional difficulties regardless of offline victimization [19][20][21][22].…”

“…Early adolescence represents a qualitative change in social dynamics that appears to create fertile ground for peer victimization [15], which is the interpersonal stressor of particular focus for the current study. There are several ways in which victimization in particular might be harmful in terms of co-morbidity between social anxiety and depressive symptoms.…”