Forms of peer victimization in adolescence: Covariation with symptoms of depression.

Abstract

Peer victimization is a common concern in adolescence that includes both relational (e.g., exclusion, rumor spreading) and overt (e.g., hitting, threatening) forms (Crick & Bigbee, 1998). Relational and overt peer victimization have shown to be differentially associated with depressive symptoms, with relational peer victimization showing a stronger association to depressive symptoms than overt peer victimization (Casper & Card, 2017). The current study uses an accelerated longitudinal research design to investigate: (a) how relational and overt peer victimization and depressive symptoms change over an accelerated age period from 11.1 to 16.8 years (centered at 12.5 years), and (b) concurrent and prospective associations of relational and overt peer victimization with depressive symptoms. Gender differences are investigated. Participants included 1,434 adolescents in grades 7 to 9 (53.5% girls; Mage = 13.5 years, SD = .9) who were assessed over 2 school years. Adolescents were from diverse ethnic groups (45% racialized groups) and from low- to middle-income households. Adolescents reported the frequency of their experiences of relational and overt peer victimization (Crick & Grotpeter, 1996) and depressive symptoms (Bevans et al., 2012) in the fall and spring of each school year. Both forms of peer victimization and depressive symptoms increased from age 12.5 to age 14 before decreasing by age 16.8 years. Frequency of relational peer victimization at age 12.5 was related to depressive symptoms at age 16.8. Frequency of depressive symptoms at age 12.5 predicted change in both forms of peer victimization at age 16.8. Some gender differences were observed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).