Poster #71 - The Genetic Correlation Between Expressive Language in Kindergarten and Peer Victimization Throughout Elementary School

• In Event: Poster Session 12

Abstract

Peer victimization is associated with important consequences for children who experience it. Some children, such as those with language difficulties, seem to be at higher risk of peer victimization. It has been hypothesized that this higher risk may be partly explained by heritable characteristics of the child (Boivin et al., 2013). This study aimed to determine whether expressive language is one such heritable characteristic contributing to peer victimization, by testing a genetic correlation between peer victimization and expressive language, after controlling for potential confounding variables (parental education, child’s sex, reactive aggression and proactive aggression). The sample (n = 742) came from the Quebec Newborn Twin Study, a longitudinal study of twins born between 1995 and 1998 in the Greater Montreal area, in Canada. Expressive language was assessed by teachers when the twins were in kindergarten (Mage = 6.04 years), and victimization was assessed by teachers in kindergarten as well as in 1st grade (Mage = 7.08 years), 3rd grade (Mage = 9.09 years), 4th grade (Mage = 10.02 years), and 6th grade (Mage = 12.09 years). At the phenotypic level, a multivariable regression analysis showed that a decrease of one standard deviation (SD) unit in expressive language in kindergarten was associated with an increase of .15 SD units (p ˂ .01) in elementary school peer victimization (averaged across the five time points), after controlling for confounding variables. Quantitative genetic analyses showed that 37% of the variance in expressive language in kindergarten, as well as 65% of the variance in elementary school peer victimization could be explained by genetic factors. As hypothesized, we found a modest genetic correlation between kindergarten expressive language skills and elementary school peer victimization (rg = -.25, p ˂ .01). Thus, these results identified poor expressive language as a heritable child characteristic contributing to the experience of peer victimization in elementary school.

Authors

• Eugénie Chevrette, Laval University
  Presenting Author

• Amelie Petitclerc, Laval University

• Bei Feng

• Mara Brendgen, L'Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

• Michel Boivin, Universite Laval

• Ginette Dionne, Universite Laval