The expression and regulation of negative emotions: Risk factors for young children's peer victimization

Abstract

Using a short-term longitudinal design, internalizing and externalizing emotions were examined as risk factors for being victimized by peers in early childhood. Regulation, aggression, and withdrawal were also tested as mediators. We found that anger, mediated by aggression and regulation, positively predicted being victimized, although the way in which anger related to victimization risk varied for boys and girls and across time. These findings were robust, particularly for girls, attesting to the importance of externalizing variables as risk factors for young children's victimization. Support for internalizing variables as risk factors for being victimized was weak. The implications of the findings for developmental models connecting symptomatology and victimization are discussed.

Exposure to Externalizing Peers in Early Childhood: Homophily and Peer Contagion Processes

“…On the other hand, however, aggressive children are sometimes isolated from the mainstream peer group. In the extreme, mainstream peers may respond to aggressive children with disapproval in the form of victimization or exclusion (Hanish et al, 2004), leaving few options for interaction partners other than aggressive peers.…”

“…On the other hand, however, aggressive children are sometimes isolated from the mainstream peer group. In the extreme, mainstream peers may respond to aggressive children with disapproval in the form of victimization or exclusion (Hanish et al, 2004), leaving few options for interaction partners other than aggressive peers.Although homophily is a well-established phenomenon, it is not clear what specific behavioral factors predict externalizing homophily among young children, though the presence of externalizing behaviors and the absence of socially competent behaviors are likely candidates. We investigated several externalizing and socially competent predictors of homophily, considering the relative importance of each in determining exposure to externalizing peers.…”

Examining the psychometric properties of the Emotional Regulation Checklist in 4- and 5-year-old preschoolers

“…Miller, Gouley, Seifer, Dickstein & Shields found that children with dysregulation show more levels of anger and aggresion. Also Calkins, Gill, Johnson, and Smith ( 1999);Cole, Zahn-Waxler, Fox, Usher, and Welsh (1996), Hanish et al, ( 2004) found that children with poor emotion regulation exhibit aggressive and under controlled behaviors in social interactions, experience isolation and rejection in peer contexts, no conflicts declared.…”

The Study of 48-60 month-old Preschool Children’s Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation Conditions

“…Araştırmalar çocukların sosyal yetkinlik konusunda sıkıntı yaşamalarındaki etkili faktörler arasında onların saldırganlık, kızgınlık, içedönüklük ve anksiyete durumları olduğuna işaret etmektedir (Hanish, Eisenberg, Fabes, Spinrad, Ryan ve Schmidt, 2004;Reeve, Jang, Carrell, Jeon ve Barch, 2004).…”