Abstract
Peer victimization (PV) is a key interpersonal stressor that can be traumatizing for youth. This study evaluated the relationships between overt, relational, reputational, and cyber PV and adolescents' somatic complaints and sleep problems. Symptoms of depression and social anxiety were examined as potential mediators. Adolescents (N = 1,162; M age = 15.80 years; 57% female; 80% Hispanic) were assessed at three time points, 6 weeks apart, using standardized measures of PV, depression, social anxiety, sleep problems, and somatic complaints. Structural equation modeling evaluated key study aims. Relational, reputational, and cyber PV, but not overt PV, were directly or indirectly associated with subsequent somatic complaints and/or sleep problems. Depression and social anxiety mediated relationships between relational PV and health outcomes, whereas reputational PV was indirectly associated with somatic complaints via depression only. The stress of PV may contribute to adolescents' sleep problems and somatic complaints and has implications for pediatric psychologists.
Highlights
The current study examined the prospective relationship between Peer victimization (PV) experiences and adolescents’ physical health problems, as well as potential mediators of these associations
We hypothesized that adolescents reporting more relational, reputational, and cyber PV would subsequently report more somatic complaints and sleep difficulties, and that these associations would be mediated by symptoms of both depression and social anxiety
PV is common during adolescence (De Los Reyes & Prinstein, 2004) and cyber PV appears to be on the rise (Madden et al, 2013), little is known about the ways PV may affect adolescents’ health
Summary
Descriptive Statistics: Means and Intercorrelations Among Study Variables Means were computed for each study variable (see Table I). Female gender was associated with greater Time 1 relational, reputational, and cyber PV, less overt PV, and greater Time 3 somatic complaints and sleep deficits (all p’s < .01). The structural model was tested with depressive symptoms as a mediator between PV and sleep problems (Model 2), and it displayed adequate fit with data (see Table II and Figure 2). As with Model 1 (for depression) we found a direct pathway between cyber PV and somatic complaints (b 1⁄4 .16), and no significant paths for overt PV. As with Model 2 (for depression), we found direct pathways between cyber PV and both sleep deficits (b 1⁄4 .21, p < .01) and excess sleep (b 1⁄4 .14, p < .05), and no significant paths for overt PV.
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