Peer and Sibling Aggression Involvement across Adolescence: Effects on Adjustment

• In Event: 1-012 - The Impact of Siblings on Problem Behavior among Adolescents

Integrative Statement

Individuals involved in peer victimization are at risk for adjustment problems across child development (Reijntjes et al., 2010). According to ecological systems theory, interactions in one developmental context can impact development in a different context via the mesosystem, which refers to relations between microsystems such as the peer group and family (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006). Adolescents victimized by peers may perpetrate aggression toward siblings as well as toward peers. The goals of this study were twofold: First, we investigated the associations between the initial levels and trajectories of sibling hostility and affection and peer aggression over the course of seven years of adolescence. Second, we tested the associations between peer victimization and intercepts and slopes of sibling hostility and affection and peer aggression across time, between peer victimization and adjustment problems after seven years, and between interceptions and slopes of sibling hostility and affect and peer aggression and adjustment problems after 7 years.
Participants were 662 ethnically diverse adolescents (50% girls) who were surveyed annually for seven years and were between the ages of 11 and 16 at T1. At T1, participants reported their gender and experiences with peer overt and relational victimization (Linder et al., 2002; Moore & Lippman, 2005). Across the next seven years, participants reported sibling hostility and positive affect (Stocker & McHale, 1992) and aggression (Weinberger et al., 1979). At the last time point, participants reported their delinquent behaviors (Barber et al., 2005) and depressive symptoms (Weissman et al., 1980).
Structural equation models revealed that participants who initially reported higher levels of sibling hostility also reported significantly higher aggression and lower sibling affection. However, those who began higher on sibling hostility decreased in sibling hostility and aggression and increased in sibling affection over time. Those who began high in aggression decreased in aggression over time, and also decreased in sibling affection (see Table 1 for standardized covariances between intercepts and slopes). Overt victimization at was related to more sibling hostility at T1. Relational victimization was related to more aggression at T1, but less aggression over time.
High initial levels as well as increases in aggression over time were related to later delinquency and depression. Increases in sibling positive affect over time were related to less depression. Overall, general aggression was related to adjustment outcomes, while the only significant sibling predictor of adjustment was positive change in sibling affect showing a buffering effect on depression. See Table 2 for regression estimates of all tested pathways.
Consistent with ecological system principles, maladaptive experiences with peers may spill over into other relationships, including those with brothers and sisters. Although sibling relationships may decline in intensity over the course of adolescence, results from this study suggest their nature and quality may be protective for youth adjustment. Those who are aggressive toward peers and increase in aggression toward peers over time seem to be most at risk for experiencing adjustment problems. Overall, both sibling and peer aggression are important factors to consider in evaluating effects of aggressive relationships on adjustment.

Authors

• Diana Meter, Utah State University
  Presenting Author

• Jenna Cassinat, Utah State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Shawn D. Whiteman, Utah State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sarah Coyne, Brigham Young University
  Non-Presenting Author