Child maltreatment predicts bullying/victimization through personality solidification: A weekly diary study

BACKGROUND

Bullying among adolescents is a significant public health concern worldwide. While child maltreatment (CM) is a known risk factor, few studies explore whether abused adolescents become bullies or victims and how CM affects day-to-day bullying/victimization. Existing research often uses cross-sectional and longitudinal designs with long intervals, failing to capture the dynamic nature of adolescence and bullying behaviors.

OBJECTIVE

Based on personality solidification theory, the study used a weekly diary method to examine the relationship between adolescents' CM and weekly bullying/victimization, as well as the mediating mechanisms of the Big Five personality traits.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

452 students (167 girls, Mage = 12.90, SDage = 0.48) from a junior high school in southern China participated in a 7-week diary study.

METHODS

After participants finished all questionnaires, multilevel models were constructed to analyze weekly diary data.

RESULTS

The findings indicated that CM positively predicted adolescents' weekly bullying/victimization, both directly and indirectly, through personality traits. Specifically, CM predicted weekly bullying through openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism, while it also forecasted weekly victimization through neuroticism.

CONCLUSIONS

CM had long-term adverse effects on adolescents' day-to-day bullying and victimization through the solidification of personality, which may provide significant theoretical and empirical foundations for the prevention of bullying in schools.

School Experiences and Anxiety Trajectories Among Youth with Intellectual Disabilities

This study investigated how the school experiences and personal characteristics of youth with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) contribute to their longitudinal trajectories of anxiety. To this end, we relied on a sample of 390 youth with mild (48.2%) to moderate (51.8%) levels of ID, aged from 11 to 22 (M = 15.70), and recruited in Canada (n = 140) and Australia (n = 250). Across three yearly time points, all participants completed self-report measures of anxiety, school climate, and victimization. Our results revealed a slight normative decrease in anxiety over time and showed that experiences of school victimization were associated with higher levels of anxiety (initially and momentarily) and increases in victimization were accompanied by increases in anxiety over time. Perceptions of attending a school that fosters security and promotes learning also tended to be accompanied by lower levels of anxiety (initially and momentarily). Momentary increases in perceptions of attending a school that fosters positive peer interactions were associated with momentary decreases in anxiety, whereas momentary increases in perceptions of attending a school characterized by positive teacher-student relationships and an equitable treatment of all students both led to small momentary increases in anxiety once all other components of student school experiences were considered. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

Perceived and Actual Norms, and Norm Misperceptions in Explaining Participant Roles in Bullying

Bullying norms have been shown to affect adolescents' decisions on different behaviors in bullying situations, but little is known about the differential contribution of perceived and actual bullying norms as well as their agreement. The present study investigated the effects of perceived and actual norms, along with norm misperceptions in participant roles in bullying. A sample of 890 students (337 fourth-, 223 fifth-, and 320 sixth-graders; Female 48%; Mage = 11.98, SDage = 0.82) from 34 classrooms in South Korean elementary schools was assessed at two time points: at the beginning (Wave 1) and at the end of the semester (Wave 2). Multilevel modeling results indicated that empathy as well as perceived and actual anti-bullying norms had unique effects on different participant roles in bullying. The agreement between perceived and actual norms also varied across classes, and bullying, victimization, and bystanding were found to be higher in classes where individuals misperceived the actual anti-bullying norms. Adolescents were more likely to defend in response to their empathy in classes with higher anti-bullying norms, while they were less likely to bystand in response to their empathy in classes where individuals accurately perceived the actual anti-bullying norms. These findings underscore that intervention programs can focus on correcting adolescents' erroneous perceptions and convictions about peers' anti-bullying attitudes to alleviate bullying and its negative consequences.

Bullying victimization in schools in the United Arab Emirates: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Despite the implementation of antibullying policies, schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) witnessed an increase in bullying prevalence. The aim of our study was to assess bullying victimization in schools in the UAE, types of bullying, and factors and outcomes related to bullying behavior.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in randomly selected private and public schools in Al Ain City. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from students in grades 6-8 (Ages 10-15). We adapted the US CDC 'Bully Survey' for cultural relevance in the UAE through feedback from focus group meetings with teachers. Data analysis, conducted using R software, involved stratified analysis by school type and utilized Chi-Squared and Fisher's exact tests to identify factors associated with school bullying.

RESULTS

The study sample consisted of 723 students of whom 68% were males, and 58% were Emirati nationals. The overall prevalence of bullying victimization in schools was 37%, with 40% in private schools and 35% in public schools. Cyberbullying was more prevalent in private schools (37%). Physical bullying was reported by 20% and verbal bullying by 12%, with a higher prevalence of physical bullying in private schools (24%) and among males (23%). The study's findings showed significant emotional and academic impacts of bullying, including feelings of sadness and learning difficulties, contributing to a rise in school absenteeism.

CONCLUSIONS

The study reveals widespread bullying victimization in UAE schools, mainly in classrooms, with group exclusion and verbal abuse as key forms. It underscores bullying's psychological impact and the greater awareness of parents compared to teachers. The effective intervention strategies should not only involve students, teachers, and school staff, but also actively engage parents by fostering stronger communication channels between schools and families, and providing parents with resources and training to recognize and address bullying. These strategies should aim to create a cohesive network involving the entire school community, thus fostering a safer and more inclusive environment for students. The findings stress the need for inclusive antibullying programs involving the entire school community to foster a safer environment.

Appearance-Related Victimization and Pubertal Asynchrony: Identifying Sex-Specific Vulnerabilities

Pubertal development is associated with many psychosocial and interpersonal changes, including a dramatic rise in appearance-related victimization. Yet, it is unclear what aspects of pubertal development provoke victimization along with which, and when, youth are at heightened risk. The present study seeks to address this gap by examining the effect of pubertal asynchrony (i.e., temporal variation in an individual's pubertal milestones) on appearance-related victimization and by determining whether associations between asynchrony and victimization differ by sex and pubertal status. In follow-up analyses, associations between pubertal asynchrony and different typologies of victimization were also assessed. Participants included 373 youth (Mage = 13.51 [1.62]; 40% girls, 60% boys; 61% White) drawn from an online sample. The results showed that more pubertal asynchrony was associated with more appearance-related victimization, especially for girls, but associations did not differ across pubertal status. Latent profile analyses of appearance-related victimization further suggested that asynchronous youth were more likely to be in profiles characterized by high appearance-related victimization as well as those characterized by high height-based victimization (boys only). The findings suggest that pubertal asynchrony contributes to appearance-related victimization in adolescence and highlights the need for targeted intervention efforts related to pubertal development and specific typologies of victimization.

Association of Victimization by Sex among Public Facing Bus and Subway Transit Workers, New York City

Federal data indicate that assaults on transit workers resulting in fatalities or hospitalizations tripled between 2008 and 2022. The data indicated a peri-pandemic surge of assault-related fatalities and hospitalizations, but assaults with less dire outcomes were not recorded. In collaboration with the Transport Workers Union, Local 100, we conducted an online survey in late 2023 through early 2024 of New York City public-facing bus and subway workers that focused on their work experiences during the 2020-2023 period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Items for this analysis on victimization included measures of physical and sexual assault/harassment, verbal harassment/intimidation, theft, and demographic characteristics (e.g., sex, race, work division). We estimated separate modified Poisson models for each of the four outcomes, yielding prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Potential interactions between variables with strong main effects in the adjusted model were further examined using product terms. Among 1297 respondents, 89.0% reported any victimization; respondents also reported physical assault (48.6%), sexual assault/harassment (6.3%), verbal harassment/intimidation (48.7%), and theft on the transit system (20.6%). Physical assault was significantly more common among women in the bus division compared to female subway workers, male bus workers, and male subway workers (adjusted PR (aPR) = 3.54; reference = male subway workers; Wald test p < .001). With the same reference group, sexual assault/harassment was more frequently reported among female subway workers (aPR = 5.15; Wald test, p < .001), but verbal assault/intimidation and experiencing theft were least common among women in the bus division (aPR = 0.22 and 0.13, respectively; Wald tests, p < .001). These data point to the need for greater attention to record and report on victimization against workers in both buses and subway.

Geographical Variation in the Associations Between School Characteristics and Homophobic Bullying: a Contextual Analysis

Homophobic bullying constitutes a serious threat to adolescent well-being and could be understood as an ecological phenomenon, influenced by diverse school, regional, and community contexts. This study examined geographic variations in the relationship between school characteristics and homophobic bullying. Data from 2244 California schools, including student surveys and administrative records, were combined and analyzed using geographically weighted regression (GWR). Results showed that the associations between school characteristics and general victimization were consistent across geographic areas. However, when it came to homophobic bullying, the relationships with school characteristics varied significantly based on location. Notably, regions with high intolerance, urbanity, large school size, and small student-teacher ratios appeared to offer protection against bullying. Additionally, student socioeconomic status influenced bullying in disadvantaged rural schools with limited Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) presence. Ethnic diversity also played a role, with low diversity or dominance of two ethnic groups linked to higher bullying rates.

Effectiveness of the KiVa anti-bullying program in the Czech Republic: A cluster randomized control trial

AIMS

One of the most widely used evidence-based anti-bullying programs, KiVa, originates from Finland and aims to change students' peer context, activate teachers, and inform parents with two main components (universal preventive actions and indicated actions when bullying occurs), complemented by monitoring. Because research documented somewhat varied KiVa outcomes in different countries and because there is a lack of research focusing solely on the effectiveness of the universal and indicated actions, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of KiVa main components when implemented in a new country. This two-arm parallel cluster randomized control trial (RCT) evaluated the effectiveness of the KiVa anti-bullying program in elementary schools in the Czech Republic. It examined the effects of the universal and indicated actions on self-reported bullying and victimization as primary outcomes and well-being as a secondary outcome, while keeping monitoring constant across the intervention and control schools. The study also examined the role of implementation fidelity on the proposed outcomes.

METHODS

Schools were allocated via stratified randomization into a KiVa intervention group (12 schools, 35 classes, N = 407 students) or a wait-list control group (12 schools, 32 classes, N = 400 students). The study employed data from baseline and post-measurement waves, which were 10 months apart.

RESULTS

The data were analyzed using linear mixed effects models, which showed no significant intervention or fidelity effects for bullying, victimization, and well-being. However, promising trends (at α < .10) were revealed, such as lower levels of bullying observed in the intervention group and in schools with high implementation fidelity. Additional analysis using Bayes factors supported these promising trends and provided moderate support for lower levels of victimization in the intervention group compared to the control schools.

CONCLUSIONS

Evaluation of effectiveness of anti-bullying programs could benefit from a more targeted fidelity assessment at the classroom or individual level and from distinguishing between the effects of the main components of the programs and the effects of monitoring. The promising yet non-significant intervention and fidelity effects suggest that schools may require enhanced support and longer implementation time frames than a single school year, especially when implementation faces structural obstacles, such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

A survey on the reasons why victims of stalking did not exhibit help-seeking behavior: a text-mining analysis

BACKGROUND

Stalking can escalate into violent acts such as threatening and inflicting physical harm, posing a serious threat to personal safety. To prevent exacerbating stalking victimization, victims must seek help and report incidents to the police or relevant authorities. However, victims, in general, underreport these incidents to public institutions. Moreover, there is insufficient understanding of why victims of stalking, especially men, refrain from seeking help. Therefore, this study used text mining to explore the reasons victims of stalking in Japan do not seek help while considering the severity of victimization and analyzing data separately for men and women.

METHODS

Among 908 Japanese individuals who reported experiencing repeated stalking behavior from a former intimate partner in the past five years, 253 men and 321 women who did not consult public authorities were included in this study. Participants provided their experiences of being stalked by former romantic partners and were classified into stalking-only, threatened, and physical aggression victim groups based on their self-reported experiences in an online survey. Reasons for not seeking help were collected through open-ended questions and analyzed using text mining.

RESULTS

A co-occurrence network analysis revealed that among men in the threatened victim group, the reason for not seeking help was the belief that their complaints would not be taken seriously. The physical aggression victim group did not seek help due to the perception that a female perpetrator does not pose a danger. Among women in the physical aggression victim group, concerns about provoking the perpetrator or worsening the situation by seeking help, as well as feelings of embarrassment, were reasons for not seeking assistance.

CONCLUSIONS

The identification of gender stereotype-related reasons among male victims was a valuable insight that could only be obtained through comparison with female victims. However, the study was limited to addressing the individual characteristics of the cases, thus providing only hypothetical insights into general trends. In future research, it will be necessary to generate hypotheses from the findings of this study and accumulate hypothesis-testing research to develop effective strategies for promoting help-seeking behavior among stalking victims.

Interaction of sexual violence perpetration and victimization on suicide attempts in Korean adolescents on additive and multiplicative scales: a population-based cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

To evaluate the associations and interaction between sexual violence perpetration and victimization on suicide attempts using a large representative sample of adolescents from South Korea.

METHODS

Based on data from 515,247 adolescents aged 12-18 years from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (2006-2012), a nationally representative repeated cross-sectional survey, we obtained self-reports of suicide attempts over the past year and of lifetime sexual violence perpetration and victimization. Using complex survey weights, weighted logistic regression models were employed to estimate the odds ratios (ORs). The interaction analyses were conducted on both additive and multiplicative scales. All analyses were conducted separately for boys and girls.

RESULTS

Lifetime prevalence of sexual violence perpetration were 1.3% for boys and 0.4% for girls, and about 40% of those perpetrating sexual violence were also victims. After adjusting for several covariates, sexual violence perpetration was independently associated with suicide attempts in boys (ORadjusted for boys 1.80 [95% confidence intervals: 1.53, 2.11]), whereas in girls, the association was only marginally significant (ORadjusted for girls 1.27 [1.00, 1.63]). We found the negative multiplicative and additive interaction between the sexual violence perpetration and victimization on suicide attempts for both boys and girls (the ratio of ORs 0.30 [0.23, 0.39] for boys and 0.20 [0.12, 0.31] for girls; relative excess risk due to interaction - 1.20 [-1.91, - 0.50] for boys and - 2.33 [-3.00, - 1.66] for girls).

CONCLUSION

Sexual violence perpetration and victimization were independently and interactively associated with suicide attempts in adolescents, with a sub-additive interaction found between these two variables. Public mental health services and policies should recognize the importance of actively involving adolescents who had sexually perpetrated others as key intervention targets.

Past body shaming experiences and food and alcohol disturbance in young adults: indirect effects via psychological distress

PURPOSE

This study investigated the associations between retrospective reports of body image victimization (i.e. body shaming) perpetrated by peers and by parents during childhood or adolescence, and food and alcohol disturbance (FAD) in young adulthood, considering the possible mediating role of psychological distress (i.e. subthreshold symptoms of anxiety and depression).

METHODS

The study involved 1624 young adults aged between 18 and 30 (69% women), who completed an online survey.

RESULTS

Our findings revealed that participants who reported more frequent body image victimization episodes during childhood and adolescence exhibited higher levels of psychological distress and, in turn, higher scores of FAD in young adulthood.

CONCLUSIONS

This result represents a novel contribution to understanding the psychological correlates of FAD in youths. Limitations and implications are discussed. Level of evidence Level V, descriptive study.

Here Comes Revenge: Peer Victimization Relates to Neural and Behavioral Responses to Social Exclusion

The aim of this study was to examine whether repeated victimization relates to differential processing of social exclusion experiences. It was hypothesized that experiences of repeated victimization would modulate neural processing of social exclusion in the insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and lateral prefrontal cortex. Furthermore, we hypothesized that repeated victimization relates positively to intentions to punish excluders. Exploratively, associations between neural processing and intentions to punish others were examined. The sample consisted of children with known victimization in the past two years (n = 82 (behavioral) / n = 73 (fMRI), 49.4% girls, Mage = 10.6). The participants played Cyberball, an online ball-tossing game, which was manipulated so that in the first block participants were equally included and in the second block they were excluded from play. Victimization was not related to neural activation during social exclusion, although there were indications that victimization may be related to increased insula activation during explicit exclusion. Behaviorally, repeated victimization was related to more intention to punish excluders. Neural activation during social exclusion did not predict intentions to punish excluders, but results tentatively suggested that increased insula activation during social exclusion may be related to increased intentions to punish. Together, these results provide a replication of earlier Cyberball studies and point toward differential processing of social exclusion by children who are victimized.

The Developmental Collision Hypothesis: An Empirical Test With Three Generations of Sexual Minority Youth

Sexual minority youth experience disproportionate rates of mental health symptomatology relative to their heterosexual peers. Less is known about why these disparities have persisted despite growing public awareness of sexual diversity. The developmental collision hypothesis states that increased cultural visibility of sexual diversity has accelerated the developmental timing of sexual minority identity formation processes such that they collide with early adolescence, a uniquely sensitive period for experiencing identity-based stigma and associated mental health vulnerability. To test this hypothesis, levels and relations between ages of sexual minority identity development milestones, frequency of LGBT-related victimization, and depressive symptoms were examined across three age-matched but cohort-distinct samples of sexual minority adolescents. Data come from three secondary datasets of sexual minority youth who were adolescents in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s, respectively: the Challenges and Coping Study, the Victimization and Mental Health among High Risk Youths Study, and the Risk and Protective Factors for Suicide among Sexual Minority Youth Study (n = 1312; Mage = 17.34, SD = 1.30; 52% female). Adolescents from more recent cohorts reported earlier mean ages of several milestones but similar frequencies of LGBT-related victimization relative to those from less recent cohorts. Path analysis models showed that earlier milestones were associated indirectly with more depressive symptoms through LGBT-related victimization. Notably, earlier ages of self-identification and disclosure of a sexual minority identity were also directly related to less depressive symptoms. Few generational differences in relations between constructs emerged. Findings garner initial support for the developmental collision hypothesis and suggest that LGBT-related victimization, rather than earlier milestones themselves, increases mental health vulnerability.

The mediation role of social support in the relationship between bullying and depressive symptoms among Jordanian adolescents

BACKGROUND

Bullying in school is a universal psychosocial issue that raises concerns about adolescents' safety and mental health and is positively associated with depressive symptoms. Social support could be a preventive factor that eases bullying and its psychological distress.

PURPOSE

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of social support in the relationship between bullying and depressive symptoms among adolescents in Jordan. Another aim was to investigate predictors of depression based on adolescents' sociodemographic factors.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional, non-experimental mediational study, a stratified and systematic sampling method was used to recruit 270 Jordanian adolescents.

RESULTS

Sociodemographic variables of being female, having divorced parents, having illiterate fathers, and being older in adolescence explained 12.2% of the variance in depressive symptoms. Family social support partially mediated the relationship between bullying and depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Our findings showed that a notable proportion of adolescents experienced bullying victimization and depressive symptoms, and a positive relationship exists between these two variables. These results further highlight the role of family social support in buffering the negative impact of bullying on depressive symptoms.

IMPLICATIONS TO PRACTICE

The study's results emphasize the significance of developing and implementing family-centered social support initiatives by nurses to lessen adolescents' bullying experiences and depressive symptomatology.

The Chain Mediation Effect of Victimization and Neuroticism on the Association Between Sexual Orientation and Depressive Symptoms: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study

This study tested whether sexual orientation differences in depressive symptoms were partially explained by the chain mediation effect of neuroticism and victimization. Using the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children from the UK (N = 4647, 36.52% men, 88% White), self-reported neuroticism, sexual orientation, and depressive symptoms were measured at age 13.5, 21, and 22 years, respectively. Childhood abuse between birth and age 11 years and the individuals' experiences of being bullied at age 17.5 years were measured as the components of victimization. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Non-heterosexual individuals reported higher depressive symptoms than heterosexual individuals, with a total effect (standardized path coefficient) of 0.590 and 0.768 for men and women, respectively. This association was partially explained by childhood abuse (indirect effect = 0.043 and 0.046 for men and women, respectively) and neuroticism directly (indirect effect = 0.036 and 0.056 for men and women, respectively). Sexual orientation differences in depressive symptoms were also partially explained by a path through increased risk of experiencing childhood abuse leading to higher levels of neuroticism (indirect effect = 0.004 and 0.009 for men and women, respectively) and by a path through higher levels of neuroticism leading to increased risk of being bullied (indirect effect = 0.004 and 0.002 for men and women, respectively). The findings suggest that while some of the association between sexual orientation and depression might be explained by neuroticism and experiences of victimization measured prospectively, these factors do not account for most of this relationship.

Perpetrator characteristics and firearm use in pediatric homicides: Supplementary Homicide Reports - United States, 1976 to 2020

BACKGROUND

Describe trends in perpetrator characteristics and firearm use in pediatric homicides across the United States.

METHODS

Multiply-imputed data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 1976-2020 Supplementary Homicide Reports were used to estimate perpetrator characteristics (sex, age, and relationship to victim) and firearm use in pediatric homicides. Descriptive analyses were stratified by victim age group, sex, race, and five-year time periods.

RESULTS

Family members were the most common perpetrator of infant and toddler (ages 0-4) and child (ages 5-12) homicides, whereas acquaintances accounted for the majority of adolescent (ages 13-19) homicides. Perpetrator characteristics vary across victim sex and race, particularly among adolescents. Despite overall stability, there were changes in perpetrator characteristics from 1976 to 2020. There was a sustained increase in the proportion of homicides committed with a firearm. In 2016-2020, the proportion of firearm-involved homicides was an all-time high for infant and toddler (14.8%), child (53.1%), and adolescent victims (88.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

Policy interventions that improve family stability and well-being may be most effective at preventing infant, toddler, and child homicides, whereas programs that target peer and community relationships, as well as policies that focus on firearm access, may be more crucial for preventing adolescent homicides.

Reactions of adolescent cyber bystanders toward different victims of cyberbullying: the role of parental rearing behaviors

BACKGROUND

Group-based situations are common settings for cyberbullying, making bystander responses crucial in combating this issue. This study investigated how adolescent bystanders respond to various victims, including family members, friends, teachers, and celebrities. This study also examined how different parenting styles influenced children's cyber bystander involvement.

METHODS

This study employed data from a cross-sectional school survey covering 1,716 adolescents aged 13-18 years from public and vocational schools in China collected in 2022. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to measure demographic characteristics, cyberbullying experiences, and parental rearing behaviors in predicting bystander reactions.

RESULTS

The findings showed that middle school students preferred to "ask for help" while high school students tended to choose "call the police" when witnessing cyberbullying incidents. Bystanders growing up with parental rejection and overprotection, having previous cyberbullying victimization experiences, where the victims were disliked by them, exhibited fewer defensive reactions.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has implications for future research and practices involving parental involvement in cyber bystander interventions, which could provide implications for future practice in designing specific intervention programs for cyberbullying bystander behavior. Future research and interventions against cyberbullying may provide individualized training including parents' positive parenting skills and parent-child interactions.

A Latent Transition Analysis of Aggression Victimization Patterns During the Transition from Primary to Middle School

School transitions provide contexts for adolescents to reconstruct peer relationships and re-establish social positions. Scarce research has captured the transition of aggressor and victim roles during this period and examined associated factors. To investigate the stability and shifts of aggressor and victim roles following the transition to middle school, this study conducted latent transition analysis with 1261 Chinese adolescents (32.6% female, Mage in Grade 6 = 12.1 years, SD = 0.7). Three subgroups were identified across Grades 5 to 8: aggressive-victims, victims and uninvolved. Adolescents were more likely to transition from aggressive-victim and victim roles to the uninvolved group during the transition to middle school compared to the transitions within the same educational phase. Males and those with insecure parental attachment were at higher risk of being and remaining in the involved groups. The findings underscore the dynamic nature of adolescent aggression and victimization and highlight the transition to middle school as a critical window for interventions aimed at helping adolescents disengage from aggression and victimization.

Experiences of stress and social safety among sexual and gender minority youth by disability status

BACKGROUND

Though separate bodies of research have shown sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth, and youth with disabilities, separately, face distinct social and health disparities, little is known about youth who both identify as SGM and have disabilities.

OBJECTIVE

The current study examined differences in wellbeing among SGM youth by disability category (i.e., physical, developmental, psychiatric) across victimization, bullying, dating violence, school safety, and experienced stress.

METHODS

Using self-reported data from 9418 SGM youth aged 13-17 in the United States, multivariate linear regressions were conducted to examine how stress and social safety experiences varied across disability status.

RESULTS

Compared to SGM youth without a disability, SGM youth across all disability categories (physical, developmental, psychiatric) had greater odds of LGBT- and disability-based victimization, greater average stress, as well as lower levels of school safety. SGM youth with any disability, physical disability, or psychiatric disability also had greater odds of dating violence compared to SGM youth without a disability.

CONCLUSION

SGM youth with disabilities may be in particular need of targeted programs that address both disability and sexual/gender identities, and may benefit from increased supports across developmental contexts (e.g., against bullying in school). Stakeholders should consider how such support can be improved, tailored, and implemented, for SGM youth and the diversity of disabilities they have.

Research on the trajectory and influential factors of poly-victimization: A longitudinal study of Chinese adolescents

BACKGROUND

Poly-victimization is more detrimental to adolescents' physical and mental health than is a single type of victimization. However, there has been limited research on the trajectory of poly-victimization among Chinese adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

Identify the different developmental trajectories of poly-victimization among Chinese adolescents over time and examine the influencing factors of poly-victimization trajectories.

METHODS

Data from four surveys conducted between 2020 and 2022, encompassing a cohort of 319 adolescents who had experienced poly-victimization, were utilized to identify their developmental trajectories via group-based trajectory modeling. Potential influencing factors were screened and compared using ANOVA or chi-square tests, while factors affecting the developmental trajectories of poly-victimization were analyzed through multinomial logistic regression.

RESULTS

We identified three poly-victimization trajectories among adolescents: increasing poly-victimization (n = 39, 12.2 %), relieved poly-victimization (n = 228, 71.5 %), and fluctuating poly-victimization (n = 52, 16.3 %). Our findings indicate that boys, and those with poor class grade ranking, a lower level of parental education, lower household economy, smoking, drinking, suicide attempts, and suicide ideation, constitute the primary focus for the prevention and treatment of poly-victimization.

CONCLUSION

We identified three poly-victimization trajectories, highlighting a significant heterogeneity in poly-victimization development. Understanding the characteristics of these developmental trajectories is crucial for realizing the dynamics of different poly-victimization subgroups and informing effective interventions.

Impact on Spanish women of previous workplace victimization experiences of workplace sexual harassment on the responsibility to intervene as bystander: Mediating roles of myth acceptance and perceived severity

Background

Bystander behaviors can be an important key for preventing all forms of violence against women. Identifying their facilitators and barriers becomes a priority. The aim of this research is to analyze the impact of the previous experiences of women (as sexual harassment victim or bystander) on their perceived responsibility to intervene as bystander in a case of workplace sexual harassment and to determine the possible mediating role of certain attitudinal and evaluative factors.

Method

A non-probability convenience sample of 633 Spanish women answered a sociodemographic data questionnaire, a victimization questionnaire designed ad hoc, and the Questionnaire of Intention to Help in VAW Cases.

Results

The results obtained indicate that previous victimization experiences as a victim or witness of sexual harassment impact the responsibility to intervene, mediated by the acceptance of sexual harassment myths and the perceived severity of workplace sexual harassment.

Conclusions

These results may help to understand how to design prevention programs and which key variables to incorporate.

Internet-based emotion regulation training aimed at reducing violent revictimization and depressive symptoms in victimized depressed patients: Results of a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Depressed patients who have become victim of violence are prone to revictimization. However, no evidence-based interventions aimed at reducing revictimization in this group exist.

METHODS

This multicenter randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of an internet-based emotion regulation training (iERT) added to TAU in reducing revictimization, emotion dysregulation, and depressive symptoms in recently victimized, depressed patients compared to TAU alone. Adult outpatients (N = 153) with a depressive disorder who had experienced threat, physical assault, or sexual assault within the previous three years were randomly allocated to TAU+iERT (n = 74) or TAU (n = 79). TAU involved psychotherapy (mainly cognitive behavioral therapy [77.8 %]). iERT comprised six guided online sessions focused on the acquisition of adaptive emotion regulation skills. The primary outcome measure was the number of revictimization incidents at 12 months after baseline, measured with the Safety Monitor. Analyses were performed according to the intention-to-treat principle.

RESULTS

Both groups showed a large decrease in victimization incidents. Mixed-model negative binomial regression analyses showed that TAU+iERT was not effective in reducing revictimization compared to TAU (IRR = 0.97; 95%CI = 0.64,1.46; p = .886). Linear mixed-model analyses demonstrated that TAU+iERT yielded a larger reduction of emotion dysregulation (B = -7.217; p = .046; Cohens d = 0.33), but not depressive symptoms (B = -1.041; p = .607) than TAU.

LIMITATIONS

The study was underpowered to detect small treatment effects. Additionally, uptake of iERT was quite low.

CONCLUSIONS

Although TAU+iERT resulted in a larger decrease of emotion dysregulation than TAU alone, it was not effective in reducing revictimization and depressive symptoms. Patients' revictimization risk substantially decreased during psychotherapy.

The informant matters: Differences in bullying victim categorization rates assessed with self- and peer-reports in children with developmental language disorder and reading difficulties

BACKGROUND

Children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and Reading Difficulties (RD) can show more peer relation problems depending on the informant.

AIMS

(1) To explore bullying victims' categorization, evaluated by self- and peer-reports, in children with DLD and RD; and (2) to assess agreement rates between informants.

METHOD AND PROCEDURES

Victimization was assessed using a self-report (EBIP-Q) and a peer-report sociogram (CESC) in a sample of 83 participants (9-12 years; 10.5 ± 1.1 years), comprising of DLD (n = 19), RD (n = 32), and Control (n = 32) groups.

OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

We found a higher frequency of the rejected sociometric profile in the DLD and RD groups, a higher peer-reported victimization in the DLD group, and more severe self-reported victimization in the DLD and RD groups. Odds of being classified as victimized were higher for self-report except in the DLD group. Informants' agreement was high using the most restrictive EBIP-Q criterion (7 points) for both the Control and the RD groups, being non-significant for the DLD group regardless of the criteria used.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

We found a higher victimization risk in children with language difficulties, although self-assessment seems to under-detect children with DLD according to the agreement rates, pointing out the need to combine assessments and informants. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD?: Several studies have shown that children with DLD or RD obtain higher scores of victimization and score lower on several scales of social skills with continuous data. Although continuous analyses are usual in research, professional decisions are usually based on cut-off criteria more than how high or low a score is in contrast to another group. This is one of the first works that analyses victimization following the cut-off criteria of self and peer assessments that professionals used in the school settings in children with DLD and RD. Our results will raise awareness among school professionals based on the evidence about the high risk of victimization, especially in children with DLD, and the implications of selecting between several measures of victimization, in this group of children. We think that our results would help to better detect and prevent bullying in schools for children with DLD.

The health context paradox in the relationship between victimization, classroom bullying attitudes, and adolescent depression: An analysis based on the hlm model

From the perspective of the health context paradox, this study examined the relationship between adolescent victimization and depression based on the diathesis-stress model and attribution theory using a nested model. A survey was conducted on 3743 Chinese adolescents using the Bullying & Victimization Scale, Rumination Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and Bullying Attitude Scale. The results disclosed that victimization had a positive impact on depression, rumination played a mediating role between victimization and depression, and classroom anti-bullying attitudes heightened the correlation between victimization and developing depression as well as between victimization and engaging in rumination thinking. This study provides a new cross-level perspective to reduce the occurrence of depression among bullied adolescents and further validates the health context paradox, expanding its applicability range. It also provides new experimental research references for reducing depression among bullied adolescents from a more comprehensive, cross-level perspective in the future.

Online and offline dating violence: same same, but different?

BACKGROUND

Violent behaviors in romantic relationships among adolescents and young people are pressing social matter as they have an effect on both victims and aggressors. Moreover, in the last decades, new forms of harassment, control, and abuse through social networks and mobile phones have arisen. Therefore, now forms of online and offline dating violence coexist.

OBJECTIVES

The aim was to analyze the prevalence rates by sex and age and the co-occurrence of online and offline dating violence. Moreover, the roles of online and offline dating violence aggressors and victims for their self-esteem, hostility, general psychological state, and emotional intelligence were investigated.

METHOD

Three hundred forty-one university students from the Basque Country, Spain, participated in the study. They completed six validated instruments related to the mentioned variables.

RESULTS

Results highlight the high prevalence of online and offline dating violence in the sample and the co-occurrence of both types. No gender nor sex differences were found for online and offline dating violence perpetration and victimization. The correlation between online and offline dating violence was confirmed, and the reciprocity of violence is greater for offline violence. In relation to the role, both types of victims (online and offline) showed higher levels of hostility and psychological symptomatology than non-victims, but differences in self-esteem and emotional regulation were found in these modalities. Online and offline perpetrators shared hostility and some psychological symptoms as characteristics compared to non-victims, but differed in other symptoms and emotional intelligence.

CONCLUSION

There is a continuum between offline and online victimization perpetration albeit differences in the characteristics such as self-esteem, emotional intelligence, and general functioning exist.