Examining the Relationship Between Different Types of Peer Victimization and Mental Health Outcomes Over Time

• In Event: 2-202 - Modalities, Moderators, and Mechanisms of the Long-Term Links Between Peer Victimization and Psychopathology

Integrative Statement

School-aged youth face various modalities by which they can experience peer victimization, including physical, verbal, indirect, and cyber victimization. While the modalities vary, much of the extant literature suggests that when youth experience peer victimization over a marked period of time, they are at greater risk for adverse mental health outcomes. Therefore, it is critical to examine the relation between various types of peer victimization, and the reciprocity of the different modalities of peer victimization on mental health outcomes for school-aged youth. This study draws upon data from a 3-year longitudinal study that evaluated the peer victimization experiences, both cyber and face-to-face, and mental health outcomes (anxiety, depression) among a diverse group of school-aged youth. Respondents included 559 students that participated in the study over three waves of data collection, with 251 boys (44.9%) and 308 girls (55.1%) from 12 Midwestern schools in Grades 6 (17.5%), 7 (15.0%), 8 (17.2%), 9 (13.1%), 10 (22.7%), 11 (10.7%), and 12 (3.8%) during the initial administration of the study. The racial breakdown included 183 (32.7%) African-American, 180 (32.2%) Caucasian, 96 (17.2%) Latino/a, 44 (7.9%) biracial, 36 (6.4%) Asian or Asian American, 12 (2.1%) Native American, and 8 (1.4%) “other.” Using structural equation modeling, results suggested that peer victimization and mental health outcomes (anxiety, depression) were consistent over time and were reciprocally associated. For example, cyber peer victimization at year 1 significantly predicted depression at year 3, while depression at year 1 and year 2 predicted cyber peer victimization at year 2 and 3 respectively. Conversely, anxiety at year 1 predicted cyber peer victimization at year 2, and cyber peer victimization at year 1 and year 2 predicted anxiety at year 2 and year 3 respectively. These preliminary models will be evaluated and discussed for face-to-face peer victimization, as well as interactions between face-to-face and cyber peer victimization over time. Overall, results suggested a long-term relationship exists between cyber peer victimization and mental health among school-aged youth, and schools must increase mental health supports and bullying prevention efforts to improve the outcomes for all students.

Authors

• Chad Rose, University of Missouri
  Presenting Author

• Brendesha Tynes, University of Southern California
  Non-Presenting Author