Poster #221 - Generational Status and Same-Ethnic vs Cross-Ethnic Peer Victimization Associated with Adolescent Adjustment

• In Event: 1-115 - Poster Session 03
  In Poster Session: PS 03 Section - Social Relationships

Integrative Statement

Unfortunately, the middle school years often involve high levels of peer victimization which are associated with depressive symptoms in childhood and adolescence (Craig, 1998). And, this association is stronger for low socioeconomic background youth (Due, Damsgaard, Lund, & Holstein, 2009). It is essential to consider what other factors might impact this association to better address the psychological consequences of peer victimization. One such factor is whether the aggression comes from a same- or cross-ethnic peer. Cross-ethnic compared to same-ethnic victimization may be more harmful because it can be seen as an attack on both one’s ethnic group and identity. Generational status may help mitigate these effects as those from more recent generations have stronger ties to their ethnic group and identity that may be protective (Phinney, 1990). The current study examines differences between same-ethnic and cross-ethnic peer victimization on depressive symptoms, and whether being a more recent immigrant mitigates any differences (Peña et al., 2008).
Method. Participants were 457 sixth grade students from 5 middle schools in California, Oregon, and Wisconsin who participated in a daily report study on peer victimization (see Table 1). To assess victimization type, students were asked to report whether they had been picked on and whether the aggressor had the same or different ethnic background (same- and cross-ethnic peer victimization). Participants were also asked to record place of nativity for both themselves and their parents to determine generational status (first = youth born outside of US, second = one parent born outside US, or third = youth and parents born in US). Students also completed the short version of the Childhood Depression Inventory to evaluate the presence of depressive symptoms (CDI; Kovacs, 1992).
Results. A two-way ANOVA assessed the differences between victimization type (same-ethnic, cross-ethnic, unsure, and no victimization) and generational status (first/second and third) on depressive symptoms. There was a main effect of victimization (see Figure 1, F(1, 3) = 12.35, p < .001) indicating that students who experienced any form of peer victimization (there were no differences by type) had significantly higher depressive symptoms than students who never experienced victimization. There was also a main effect of generational status (F(1, 1) = 4.11, p = .04), indicating that third generation students had significantly higher depressive symptoms than first- and second-generation students. Nonetheless, the interaction between victimization type and generational stats was not significant, F(1, 3) = 1.70, p = 0.17, suggesting that students’ depressive symptoms as a function of peer victimization was not buffered by generational status.
Discussion. Our results indicate that any victimization, regardless of whether same- or cross-ethnic, has negative implications for depressive symptoms. Unlike predicted, being a more recent immigrant does not buffer this relationship. However, our sample consisted of ethnically diverse schools without numerical ethnic majority. It is possible that other school contexts (e.g., less diverse schools) would yield different results, especially considering that being a victim while being a member of the ethnic majority group can predict greater psychological maladjustment (Graham, Bellmore, Nishina, & Juvonen, 2009).

Authors

• Jackelyne Zavala Garcia, University of California, Davis
  Presenting Author

• Shannon Peiffer, University of California, Davis
  Non-Presenting Author

• Adrienne Nishina, University of California, Davis
  Non-Presenting Author