Navigating the social world: The role of social competence, peer victimisation and friendship quality in the development of social anxiety in childhood

Hannah Pickard,William Mandy,Francesca Happé

doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2018.09.002

Abstract

Social and communication (SC) difficulties predict increased social anxiety (SA) symptoms in childhood. Peer victimisation and friendship quality are commonly associated with both SC difficulties and SA. Based on this, we tested for a cascade effect of early SC difficulties, peer victimisation and friendship quality on SA in late childhood, using a population-based sample of 8028 children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort. Parent-reported data were collected on SC difficulties at age 7 and SA at age 7, 10 and 13. Child-reported data on peer victimisation and friendship quality were collected at age 8. Our results revealed that SC difficulties predict increased negative friendship qualities and peer victimisation. Relational victimisation predicted increased SA symptoms at 13 years old. Neither overt nor relational victimisation mediated the developmental relationship between SC difficulties and SA. Furthermore, friendship quality did not moderate the developmental relationship between SC difficulties and SA. In addition, no sex differences were observed. The evidence demonstrates that peer victimisation and friendship quality do not explain why some children with SC difficulties go on to develop SA. Future research clarifying the complex etiological pathways contributing towards the development of SA in childhood and adolescence is warranted.

Highlights

Social anxiety (SA) is a common experience, which lies on a continuum of severity in the general population (Knappe et al, 2011; Rapee & Spence, 2004)
We aim to test the following research questions: 1) Do Social and communication (SC) difficulties lead to increased peer victimisation/negative friendship quality over middle/late childhood? 2) Does negative friendship quality/peer victimisation predict SA symptoms? 3) Does overt and/or relational victimisation mediate the relationship between SC difficulties and SA symptoms? 4) Does friendship quality moderate the relationship between SC difficulties and SA symptoms?
Our novel longitudinal findings demonstrate that experiencing peer victimisation and negative friendship quality in early childhood does not increase a child with SC difficulties risk of developing SA in later childhood

Summary

Introduction

Social anxiety (SA) is a common experience, which lies on a continuum of severity in the general population (Knappe et al, 2011; Rapee & Spence, 2004). Childhood SA typically runs a chronic course, with a reduced likelihood of total remission and the risk of developing additional psychiatric disorders in adolescence (Bittner et al, 2007). Given the chronicity of SA and the impact on functioning and wellbeing across the life span, there is a need for longitudinal research to investigate mechanisms that underlie the development of SA across childhood, which will inform the development of targeted interventions to decrease a child’s risk of developing SAD

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