Peer Problems Research Articles

Rates of socio-emotional difficulties among deaf and hard of hearing children in Ireland

ABSTRACT Higher rates of socio-emotional difficulties for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children have been reported compared with their typical hearing (TH) peers. Nonetheless, there has to date been limited examination on this issue internationally and no such examination in the Republic of Ireland. In this study, data was collected from parents using an online survey which included the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to examine the socio-emotional development of 113 DHH children aged 5–16 in the Republic of Ireland. The results were compared with data from typically hearing (TH) children obtained from a large longitudinal study of childhood in Ireland – the Growing Up in Ireland study. The findings demonstrate that the prevalence of socio-emotional difficulties among this cohort of children is over three times that of the general population of children in Ireland, with 42% of the sample demonstrating clinically significant problem scores. Furthermore, DHH children had elevated subscale scores for the four problem scales in the SDQ when compared against the TH sample. These differences were statistically significant and had a range of effect sizes from small to large. The subscale of most concern was the peer problems subscale where the DHH sample had mean scores that were roughly double those of the TH sample, with a large effect size found. Finally, bivariate analysis revealed that several background variables were associated with elevated difficulty scores for DHH children, namely male gender, poorer communicative competency, and presence of an additional educational need.

Links Between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms, Peer Relationships and Mental Health Outcomes in Western Australian Youth

Peer relationships are critical in the development of positive mental health during childhood and adolescence. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms can adversely affect the development of positive peer relationships, and thus, have significant long-term implications for mental health. This study explored the long-term relationships between ADHD symptoms, peer relationships and mental health in Western Australian adolescents. Participants were drawn from a sample of 1489 young people: n = 623 males with a mean age of 13.79 years (SD = 1.61) and n = 866 females, with a mean age of 14.29 years (SD = 1.51). Data were collected at three timepoints across three successive years, with different numbers of participants contributing data at each timepoint. Participants completed measures of ADHD symptoms and existing peer problems in the first year; five measures of peer relationships in the second year; and four measures of mental health in the third year. Multiple regression and path analyses were used to determine whether ADHD symptoms predicted scores on the peer relationship and mental health measures and whether peer relationships mediated links observed between ADHD symptoms and mental health. ADHD symptoms significantly predicted both long-term problematic peer relationships and long-term adverse mental health outcomes. Three peer relationship variables were significant mediators of relationships between ADHD symptoms and mental health: sense of belonging, friendships and perceived isolation. ADHD symptoms significantly predict poor peer relationships and adverse mental health outcomes in Western Australian youth, regardless of whether a formal diagnosis has been assigned. Early interventions for young people with ADHD symptoms are needed for such individuals to enjoy positive mental health in their adult years.

Understanding the influence of children’s mental health, cognitive development, and environmental factors on learning outcomes in Chile

Mental health, cognitive development, and social background are related to educational success. While growing evidence is available in cultural settings other than Western countries, more knowledge is needed, especially regarding interactions among these dimensions. Rather than studying isolated factors, we propose an integrated approach to consider the diverse interrelated dimensions influencing children’s learning. Life course theory supports this approach underlying the role of early events in subsequent life paths and the multidisciplinary nature of these events. The sample consisted of 610 children (49.1% male) attending first grade. The children completed reading, mathematics, and visuospatial working memory (VWM) assessments. Parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-P) and reported their demographic information. A multilevel path model was estimated, including direct relationships between (i) children’s socioemotional behavior (SEB) and learning, (ii) VWM and learning, and (iii) SEB and VWM. The effects of sex and maternal education were also controlled. School and student level variances were modeled. At the school level, VWM, reading, and mathematics have variance, whereas SEB does not. At the student level, VWM, SEB, and maternal education have significant and differential effects on learning. Hyperactivity and peer problems were negatively related to reading and mathematics, while emotional problems were not, and conduct problems exhibited mixed results. These results reinforce developmental life course approaches, that is, from the beginning of schooling, promoting positive mental health can improve children’s learning outcomes.

Socioeconomic status, linguistic skills and language background differentially relate to preschoolers' emotional and behavioural profile.

Proximal and distal factors interact to shape children's development and well-being. The present study aimed to examine socioeconomic status (SES), linguistic skills, and language background as concurrent predictors of socio-emotional and behavioural outcomes in heritage bilingual and monolingual children attending preschool. Parents of 1810 children (mean age = 63.42 months ± 7.36), attending preschool in Italy, completed the Four Factor Index of SES and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Teachers (n = 99) completed a questionnaire on children's linguistic skills and emotional and behavioural profiles. A subsample of 995 children was administered an expressive vocabulary task in Italian. Regression analyses showed that linguistic skills were the only concurrent predictor of conduct problems, as well as the dominant predictor of hyperactivity/impulsivity, peer problems, and better prosocial behaviour. SES was negatively related to ADHD traits, peer problems, and prosocial behaviour. Finally, heritage bilingualism background was associated, although not as a primary predictor, with increased emotional problems, peer relationship problems, and lower teacher-rated emotional and behavioural skills. However, it was the main factor positively associated with prosocial behaviour. The implications of these findings for research in this area and for educational policy are discussed, highlighting the need for a multidimensional perspective that includes linguistic skills and SES in the assessment of children's emotional and behavioural outcomes.

Exploring Screen Time and Its Effects on Children's Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background The increasing prevalence of screen-based activities among children has raised concerns about potential mental health effects. This study investigates the relationship between screen time and mental health outcomes in children aged 6 to 14 years in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, focusing on emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems, and depressive symptoms. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 670 children recruited through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires and parental surveys from January to June 2024. Screen time was assessed across four activities: TV viewing, smartphone usage, computer/tablet use, and video game playing, recorded separately for weekdays and weekends. Mental health was evaluated using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficients were used to analyze the data. Results Participants reported a mean total screen time of 7.25 ± 2.4 hours on weekdays and 8.4 ± 2.65 hours on weekends. Smartphone usage (2.75 ± 1.3 hours/day) was the most common activity. Emotional symptoms, conduct problems and depressive symptoms were significantly correlated with both weekday and weekend total screen time (weekday r = 0.43, r = 0.31, and r = 0.49, respectively, p < 0.001; weekend r = 0.47, r = 0.33, and r = 0.54, respectively, p < 0.001). Smartphone usage had the strongest association with depressive symptoms (r = 0.46, p < 0.001). Conclusion This study identifies a significant positive correlation between increased screen time and adverse mental health outcomes in children, particularly emotional symptoms and depressive symptoms. The findings emphasize the need for public health strategies to manage screen time and promote healthier digital habits to mitigate the potential negative effects on children's mental health.

Anxiety in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: behavioural phenotypes and environmental factors

BackgroundAnxiety is the most prevalent comorbidity among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet little is known about the associated risk factors.MethodsIn a heterogenous cohort of children aged 5–18 years old (n = 262, 42% ASD), participants and their parents completed standardized questionnaires to assess anxiety, ASD symptom severity, inattention/hyperactivity, emotional problems, depressive symptoms, parental styles and stress, and demographic factors.ResultsAn artificial neural network analysis using a self-organizing map, a statistical technique used to cluster large datasets, revealed 3 distinct anxiety profiles: low (n = 114, 5% ASD), moderate (n = 70, 64% ASD) and high (n = 78, 96% ASD) anxiety. A recursive feature elimination analysis revealed that depression and peer problems contributed the most to differences between the anxiety profiles. Difficulties with peers in individuals with ASD who experience anxiety may be related to challenges with social competence and this may heighten depressive symptoms.ConclusionFindings highlight the importance of assessing depressive symptoms in children and adolescents with ASD who experience anxiety. Identifying anxiety profiles among children and adolescents with ASD may prove beneficial in clinical practice by facilitating the development of tailored interventions that aid in managing anxiety and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, strengthening social communication skills may improve peer relationships and could aid in managing depressive symptoms among children and adolescents with ASD who experience anxiety.

Loneliness, Internalizing and Externalizing Problems, and Suicidal Ideation Among Chinese Adolescents: A Longitudinal Mediation Analysis

PurposeResearch indicates that loneliness and emotional and behavioral problems increase the risk of suicidal ideation in adolescents, but less is known about the distinct contributions of these problems. This study aimed to distinguish the pathways through which loneliness, internalizing problems, and externalizing problems contribute to suicidal ideation in Chinese adolescents. MethodsWe did a longitudinal mediation analysis with data collected at 3 time points (2021.05, 2021.10, and 2022.05) from 28 Taizhou high schools. Loneliness and suicidal ideation were assessed using the UCLA 3-Item Loneliness Scale and one suicide item from the Children’s Depression Inventory, respectively. The Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire assessed internalizing (emotional and peer problems) and externalizing problems (conduct and hyperactivity problems). Structural equation modeling was used to construct complete longitudinal path models. ResultsUsing data from 2,190 adolescents in junior and senior high schools, we found that loneliness, internalizing problems, and externalizing problems separately contributed to subsequent higher levels of suicidal ideation. Most notably, loneliness predicted worse subsequent internalizing problems (β = 0.279, p < .001) and externalizing problems (β = 0.159, p < .001), which in turn predicted more severe suicidal ideation (β = 0.019, p < .001; β = 0.018, p < .001). Loneliness also partially mediated the association between internalizing or externalizing problems and suicidal ideation. DiscussionLoneliness, internalizing problems, and externalizing problems were strongly intertwined with suicidal ideation in adolescents. Public health initiatives could reduce loneliness and emotional and behavioral problems by implementing multifaceted interventions, thereby breaking the vicious circle and protecting against the development of suicidal ideation.

다문화 일반아동 및 언어발달지연아동의 정서행동적 특성과 언어능력 간 관계

This study examined the effects of emotional behavioral strengths (pro-social behavior), which are positive factors that can influence the effective communication of multicultural children, and difficulties (emotional symptoms, hyperactivity, conduct problems, peer problems) on language ability. Correlation analysis, regression analysis were conducted based on the data collected for multicultural children aged 4 to 7. As a result, there was a positive correlation between receptive language and pro-social behavior in the typically developing children, but the relationship between emotional behavioral factors and language was not significant in the children with language delayed group. It was confirmed that the pro-social behavior had a significant effect on the language ability of the group experiencing normal language development in multicultural children.

Suicide and suicide attempt rates among children and youth in Europe in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction and aim: Suicide, the act of taking one’s own life, represents the most final decision a person can make. When this type of decision involves an adolescent or a child, people are often left questioning what led to it. The visibly increasing number of suicides in Poland in last years, especially among individuals as young as 12, motivated the authors to take a look at the current state of knowledge about young people’s mental health. The authors investigated whether the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath had a particularly strong impact on young people’s lives and what imprint it has left on their mental well-being. Another aim of this work was to summarise possible factors related to the pandemic that could have had a negative or positive influence on minors’ mental state and health, with a specific focus on Europe. Materials and methods: PubMed and Google Scholar literature search, and Google-based research. Results: The review presents statistics on suicides and suicide attempts in various European countries, and analyses possible reasons, including mental disorders and the impact of home confinement caused by the pandemic. Conclusion: It can be presumed that the pandemic had a negative impact on young people’s mental state. However, the overall outcomes are in correlation with pre-existing family and peer relationships, abusive environments, and problems that developed before the pandemic, as well as mental disorders. Also, the quality of mental health support systems varies between countries, making it difficult to generalise the findings.

Trajectories of social outcomes in individuals born very preterm from childhood to adolescence.

To compare trajectories of social functioning in peer problems and prosocial behavior from 5 to 13 years between individuals born very preterm (VPT) and full-term (FT). Participants were from the Victorian Infant Brain Study (VIBeS) longitudinal cohort, consisting of 224 individuals born VPT and 77 born FT recruited at birth. Social functioning was measured using the parent-rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) peer problems and prosocial behavior subscales at 5, 7, and 13 years' corrected age. Multilevel mixed effects models were fitted. Peer problems increased with age (adjusted mean difference per year = 0.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.01, 0.07, p = 0.02), with higher peer problems in the VPT compared with the FT group (adjusted mean difference between groups = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.06, 0.86, p = 0.02). Prosocial behavior increased from early to middle childhood and decreased approaching adolescence, but was similar between VPT and FT groups (adjusted mean difference between groups = -0.05, 95% CI = -0.50, 0.40, p = 0.82). Children born VPT are at greater risk for peer problems than FT peers and may benefit from receiving greater early social support.

Dynamic links between daily anxiety symptoms and young adults’ daily well-being

ABSTRACT Background Anxiety disorders are prevalent among youth and adults. Increasing studies examined the dynamic associations between momentary fluctuations of anxiety and well-being, primarily focusing on the severity of general anxiety. Scant research has explored the co-fluctuations between different anxiety symptoms and mental health outcomes. Method The current study evaluated the multi-level factor structure and assessed the subclinical symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social phobia (SP), and panic disorder (PD) in a sample of non-clinical young adults (N = 271, Mage = 18 years, 72% female, 68% non-White) who participated in a 30-day daily diary study. Results Between persons, GAD, SP, and PD were positively correlated with depressive symptoms, stress, as well as emotional and peer problems. Within persons, both SP and PD were positively associated with stress, peer and emotional problems on the same day. Across days, there was positive reciprocal relation between PD and stress, whereas negative reciprocal link was observed between SP and emotional problems. Conclusions Current findings showed dynamic and distinct patterns in the associations between different anxiety symptoms and several mental health outcomes, which emphasizes the need to disentangle between- and within-person variation of anxiety symptoms with intensive longitudinal designs.

Childhood trauma distribution and behavioural problems among Pakistani adolescents.

Childhood trauma adversely impacts adolescents, and consequently, they develop behavioural problems. Understanding the distribution of childhood traumas and their association with behavioural problems among adolescents is paramount for the preventive efforts. The present research aimed to investigate this association among adolescents. This association was investigated among adolescents (N = 200) between 12 and 18 years. Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire was used to assess the distribution of trauma and internalizing and externalizing behavioural problems among adolescents through purposive and convenience sampling technique. The findings across trauma distribution indicated higher distribution of childhood abuse and neglect across males as compared to females. Males further significantly scored higher on sexual abuse and emotional neglect. Apparently, a large number of adolescents experienced all five sub types of childhood traumas (sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, emotional and physical neglect). Additionally, across the severity continuum of childhood traumas, male scored higher on the severe to extreme continuum for all subtypes except physical abuse, where females scored higher. Lastly, logistic regression analysis indicated higher peer problems among those adolescents who have experienced all types of childhood traumas. These findings could be beneficial for intervention-based programs and policies to help trauma-exposed adolescents cope with their lives.

Infant sensitivity to social contingency moderates the predictive link between early maternal reciprocity and infants' emerging social behavior.

The scientific study of love underscores the importance of dyadic reciprocity in laying the foundation for infants' social development. While research establishes links between early reciprocity and children's social capacities, some infants appear to benefit from reciprocity more than others. A central feature of reciprocity is its contingent structure, that is, the extent to which maternal behaviors are temporally associated with and contingent upon infants' dynamically changing cues. As such, infants' sensitivity to social contingencies may define the extent to which an infant benefits from maternal reciprocity. The current study examined the role of infants' sensitivity to social contingency (SC) in moderating associations between early maternal reciprocity and subsequent infants' social behavior. The study followed 157 children (47% females), across the first year of life (4, 10, and 12 months) and at preschool age (48 months). Infants' SC at 4 and 10 months moderated the link between early maternal reciprocity and infants' prosocial behavior observed at 12 months. SC at 10 months moderated the link between early reciprocity and reported peer problems at 48 months. Maternal reciprocity predicted more helping behavior in infancy and fewer peer problems at preschool, but only for infants who displayed high SC. Findings highlight the contingent nature of reciprocal mother-infant interactions revealing that an infant's sensitivity to breaks in social-contingency moderates the developmental benefit of reciprocity. Future research is necessary to directly test the underlying mechanisms of these processes and better understand the individual characteristics of infants' sensitivity to social contingency and its' role in typical and atypical development. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Individual differences in infants' sensitivity to breaks in social contingencies may moderate the extent to which infants benefit from contingent reciprocal maternal behavior (i.e., maternal reciprocity). Maternal reciprocity predicted more helping behavior in infancy and fewer peer problems at preschool, but only for infants who displayed high sensitivity to breaks in social contingency. Findings highlight the contingent nature of reciprocal mother-infant interactions revealing that infants' sensitivity to breaks in social-contingency moderates the developmental benefit of reciprocity. Findings emphasize the need to develop measurement methods and direct empirical attention to the important yet understudied individual characteristic of infants' sensitivity to social contingency and its role in shaping social development.

Association between visual attention and parent-reported social problems in pediatric cancer survivors

ABSTRACT Social deficits in pediatric cancer survivors have been well documented and have been linked to neurocognitive late effects, particularly attention deficits. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between components of attention, both parent-report and a performance-based measure, with parent-reported social functioning in survivors of pediatric cancer. The study included data from outpatient neuropsychological evaluations of 76 survivors of pediatric cancer. The Integrated Visual and Auditory (IVA) continuous performance test was used to evaluate the components of attention with variables corresponding to Posner’s model of attention. Assessment of inattention and peer problems were derived from the Conner’s Parent Rating Scale, third edition. Parent-reported attention symptoms were significantly associated with worse auditory prudence (r = −0.382, p < .001) and visual consistency (r = −0.234, p = .046) and higher parent-reported peer problems (r = 0.302, p = .008). Auditory attention domains were not significantly predictive of peer problems (p > .05). When controlling for FSIQ and type of cancer, worse visual consistency (p = .029) and visual speed (p = .036) were significantly associated with more peer problems. Parent-reported inattention was associated with only some domains of performance-based attention, highlighting the importance of using multi-modal assessments of attention. This study also revealed an important relationship between visual attention and peer problems.

Changes in School-Age Children's Well-being and School-Related Needs Post COVID-19 Pandemic.

COVID-19 highlighted the importance of schools for child health, as emerging data suggest that pandemic-related school closures may have led to worsening child health and exacerbated health disparities. This study examines school-aged children's well-being, and characterizes changes in school-related needs, from 2021 to 2022. This is a secondary analysis of a longitudinal cohort study, where a nationally representative sample of parents of school-aged children were surveyed in June 2021 and 2022. The percentage of children with deficits in total difficulties, hyperactivity, and prosocial behavior decreased at follow-up, while a high percentage of children continued to experience peer problems. At least one school-related need remained for most parents. Highest priority needs were academic enrichment, socialization, physical activity, tutoring, and coping with stress. Academic support and social-emotional well-being remained major parental concerns, with social development showing significant deficit. Improvements in child well-being were experienced unequally across demographic groups.

Association between maternal antibiotic exposure and emotional and behavioural problems in children at four years of age: A biomonitoring-based prospective study

BackgroundMaternal exposure to multiple antibiotics exposure during pregnancy has attracted extensive attention, but biomonitoring studies linking prenatal antibiotic exposure to emotional and behavioural problems in children are limited. MethodsA total of 2475 pregnant women from the Ma’anshan Birth Cohort were included, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was completed when their children turned four years of age. The levels of 41 maternal urinary antibiotics and two metabolites were measured during the first, second and third trimesters. Generalized estimating equations and binary logistic regression models were applied to analyse the associations between maternal antibiotic exposure and emotional and behavioural problems in children and to determine the sensitive period, respectively. A quantile-based g-computation (QGC) approach was employed to examine the combined effects of multiple antibiotics on emotional and behavioural problems in children. ResultsOverall, florfenicol and preferred-as-veterinary antibiotic (PVA) exposure during pregnancy increased the risk of emotional problems in children, and ofloxacin exposure increased the risk of hyperactivity-inattention. Maternal exposure to trimethoprime, ciprofloxacin, florfenicol, other antibiotics and PVA exposure during the first trimester was positively associated with emotional problems in children. Second-trimester trimethoprime concentrations and third-trimester ciprofloxacin concentrations were positively associated with hyperactivity-inattention. Third-trimester veterinary antibiotic (VA) exposure was negatively associated with hyperactivity-inattention, and second-trimester VA and PVA exposure was negatively associated with peer problems. The QGC model revealed that mixed antibiotic exposure in the first trimester exacerbated the risk of childhood emotional problems (the contribution of ciprofloxacin is prominent), and mixed antibiotic exposure in the second trimester increased the risk of hyperactivity-inattention (the contribution of trimethoprime is prominent). ConclusionMaternal mixed antibiotic exposure during the first and second trimesters increases the risk of emotional problems and hyperactivity-inattention in children at four years of age.

Penerapan Aplikasi Mentari (Mental Health Remaja Indonesia) Assessment Pendeteksi Dini Kesehatan Mental Emosional Dan Perilaku Pada Remaja

Introduction: Indonesia is a developing country with a fairly large number of mental sufferers. The prevalence of emotional mental disorders with symptoms of depression and anxiety in the population continues to increase so that the tendency to self-harm and suicide continues to increase. Suicide cases in Indonesia can reach 10,000 or the equivalent of every hour there is a suicide case Objective: Participants in this activity totaled 187 people with an age range of 12 to 15 years Method: implementation of the MENTARI assessment application on adolescent mental health Result: The results obtained after using the MENTARI application were that the majority of teenagers had emotional, behavioral and peer problems. Conclusion: Many things and conditions can cause pressure (stress) during adolescence. They are faced with various changes that are occurring within themselves as well as development targets that must be achieved according to their age.

Mental health in Norwegian children and adolescents exposed to childhood maltreatment: a comparison to a general population sample

The current study aimed to compare mental health outcomes of children and adolescents with maltreatment experiences to a general population sample. A secondary aim was to examine sex differences in mental health outcomes, and the association between polyvictimization and mental health. The two samples were age- and sex-matched, and data was collected from caregiver-reports and self-reports. 1378 participants aged 5 to 18 years were included in the study. Children and adolescents exposed to maltreatment had more mental health problems than the general population sample. Large effect sizes (d ≥ 0.8) were found for emotional problems (d = 1.19), hyperactivity problems (d = 0.88), peer problems (d = 0.86), and the impact score (d = 0.93). A moderate to large effect size was found on the conduct problems subscale (d = 0.68), and a small effect size was found on the prosocial subscale (d = −0.22). There was a dose-response relationship between cumulative maltreatment exposure and the severity of mental health problems. Childhood maltreatment was associated with considerably more emotional problems, hyperactivity problems, and peer problems, which in turn can impact the daily life of the exposed children and adolescents. Effective support measures for maltreated young people must be a priority.

Electronic device usage among preschool children and its association with mental health status in Saudi Arabian kindergartens.

To estimate the prevalence of electronic device usage and its association with mental health status among preschool children aged 3-6 years. A cross-sectional study was conducted among preschool children aged 3-6 years in kindergartens in Makkah city in 2023-2024, using an electronic questionnaire. An Arabic version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used to assess mental health. We recruited a total of 399 children. The prevalence of electronic device usage was 91.5%. The number of hours spent using electronic devices ranged from 0 to 12 hour (h)/day, with a mean of 3.1h/day. We found a significant positive correlation between the number of hours spent using electronic devices and emotional problems (r=0.200, p<0.001), conduct problems (r=0.149, p=0.003), hyperactivity (r=0.279, p<0.001), peer problems (r=0.104, p=0.038), and total difficulty scores (r=0.263, p<0.001). We also found a significant negative correlation between the number of hours spent using electronic devices and the prosocial score (r= -0.128, p=0.011), and most of the included children had scores within the "close to average" category across all scales of mental health status. There was a high prevalence of electronic device usage among preschool children, which exceeded the recommended time limit. A significant correlation was observed between electronic device use and mental health scores. Further longitudinal studies are required to understand the nature of this association and its implications for child development.

Adolescent Peer Relationship Difficulties, Prosociality, and Parental Emotion Socialization: Moderating Roles of Adolescent Gender

The present study examined longitudinal, transactional associations between youth social adjustment (prosociality, peer relationship difficulties) and parental emotion socialization in early adolescence. Adolescent gender was considered as a potential moderator. Eighty-seven adolescent-parent dyads (50 girls, 37 boys) participated in 8th grade, with follow-up waves in 9th and 10th grade. Adolescents reported their experiences of peer victimization and their parents’ emotion socialization responses, and parents reported youth prosocial behavior and peer relation problems. Hierarchical linear modeling results indicated transactional associations between parent supportive/unsupportive responses and adolescent peer relations and prosociality over time, some of which were moderated by adolescent gender. Increases in parental supportive emotion socialization corresponded to decreased experiences of peer victimization over time for girls, but not boys. When peer victimization increased over time, girls reported less parental supportive responses and all adolescents reported receiving more unsupportive responses from parents. For all adolescents, parents’ increased supportive responses also corresponded to decreased peer problems and increased prosocial behavior. As prosocial behavior increased, so did parental supportive responses. Increases in parents’ unsupportive responses related to decreased prosocial behavior, and increases in adolescent prosocial behavior related to decreases in parents’ unsupportive responses. Results suggest that there is mutual influence between parent emotion socialization and adolescent social adjustment. Adolescent girls appear to uniquely benefit from parents’ supportive emotional socialization in relation to their experiences of peer victimization. Potential mechanisms and implications are discussed.