Abstract
Pubertal synchrony is defined as the degree of coherence to which puberty-related body changes (e.g., breast development, growth spurt, voice change, underarm hair growth) are coordinated. During the pubertal transition, youth’s body parts grow asynchronously, making each youth’s physical appearance unique. Physical appearance is a known correlate of youth’s psychosocial functioning during adolescence, but we know little about how pubertal asynchrony plays a role in their peer relationships. Using data from an adoption study (the Early Growth and Development Study; n = 413; 237 boys, 176 girls), this study examined the effect of pubertal asynchrony on peer victimization. Results revealed sex-specific effects of pubertal asynchrony; pubertal asynchrony was associated with a higher risk of peer victimization for girls but a lower risk for boys. Findings highlight the intersection of physical development and social context in understanding youth’s experiences of puberty.
Highlights
The literature on puberty and its effect on psychosocial outcomes has conceptualized puberty in one of the three ways: pubertal timing, status, or tempo [1]
Building on existing work [18,19], this study evaluated associations between pubertal asynchrony and peer victimization at age 11, a time at which youth are sensitive to peer victimization [10]
Our findings demonstrated that pubertal asynchrony is a risk factor for peer victimization for girls but serves as a protective factor for boys
Summary
The literature on puberty and its effect on psychosocial outcomes has conceptualized puberty in one of the three ways: pubertal timing, status, or tempo [1]. Pubertal status refers to the progression of biological maturation in each child’s maturation timetable. Pubertal tempo—an old concept that has recently received revitalized attention–refers to how quickly (or slowly) one progresses through the stages of puberty. Research has shown that early pubertal maturation and a quick pubertal tempo (i.e., shorter duration from the start to the completion of pubertal transition) put youth, especially girls, at a heightened risk for psychological difficulties, perhaps because an abrupt and untimely biological change demands a swift adaptation to the new body and the associated social expectations [2,3]. The research on pubertal timing, status, and tempo has become substantively and methodologically sophisticated, there is a fourth dimension of puberty that has been understudied: pubertal synchrony
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