Better at home or in residential care? Victimization of people with intellectual disabilities at the hands of caregivers

BACKGROUND

People with intellectual disabilities often need assistance of some kind in their everyday life. Support needs can increase the risk of their victimization at the hands of professional and family caregivers. This paper explores the differences in caregiver victimization between participants living in residential care settings and those who are not.

METHOD

A sample of 260 adults (59.2 % men) with an intellectual disability diagnosis were assessed using an adaptation of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire comparing prevalence, sum and variety scores.

RESULTS

More than half of the sample (59.2 %) experienced some form of caregiver victimization throughout their lifetime, with physical abuse, verbal abuse, and neglect being the most frequently reported forms. Participants in residential care settings experienced significantly more caregiver victimization incidents and a broader range of victimization forms than their counterparts outside residential care. Significant differences were found based on the individuals' place of residence and gender. Details are provided on the last victimization incident, the perpetrator, the psychological and physical consequences of the victimization, and the reporting rates.

CONCLUSIONS

This study outlines high rates of lifetime caregiver victimization, with those who live in residential care settings at particular risk. Further research is needed to gain a deeper understanding of the nuances of caregiver victimization and to prevent abuse in caregiving contexts.

Students' School and Psychological Adjustment in Classrooms with Positive and Negative Leaders

Positive and negative leadership styles may influence classroom norms and be related to the school and psychological adjustment of children in general, and victims in particular. This study tested the relation between leadership styles and children's adjustment, and the moderating effects of leadership on the association between self-reported victimization and school and psychological adjustment (self-esteem, social anxiety, and depressive symptoms); and it tested for potential gender differences. Classrooms were classified into those with only positive leaders, only negative leaders, both positive and negative leaders, and without leaders. The sample contained 8748 children (Mage = 10.05, SD = 1.22; 51.2% girls) from 392 classrooms, in grades three to six, in 98 Dutch schools. Multilevel analysis revealed that, in general, children in negative leader classrooms experienced lower school well-being than children in other classrooms. In positive leader classrooms, male and female victims had lower school well-being. For psychological well-being, female victims had lower self-esteem and more depressive symptoms in positive leader classrooms. Male and female victims in negative leader classrooms did not suffer from additional maladjustment. These results demonstrate that negative leadership styles are related to lower school well-being of all children, whereas victimization in classrooms with positive leaders is negatively related to male and female victims' school well-being and girls' psychological adjustment (depressive symptoms); this is in line with the 'healthy context paradox'.

The Longitudinal Interplay between Adverse Peer Experiences and Self-Regulation Facets: A Prospective Analysis during Middle Childhood

Positive peer experiences and self-regulation (SR) skills are crucial for children's healthy development, but little is known about how they interact during middle childhood. Therefore, we examined the prospective links between adverse peer experiences (APEs) and SR, drawing from the dataset of the PIER study. Across three measurement points, 1654 children aged 6-11 (T1), 7-11 (T2), and 9-13 years (T3) were included. We assessed the SR facets updating, flexibility, inhibition, emotional reactivity, inhibitory control, and planning using computerized tasks, parent- and teacher-reports. The latent variable of APEs consisted of measures of peer victimization and peer rejection assessed via self-, parent-, and teacher-report. Separate cross-lagged panel models were calculated, investigating the interplay of each SR facet and APEs. Results indicated that experiencing more APEs at T1 predicted higher emotional reactivity, and lower inhibition, inhibitory control, updating, and flexibility at T2. More APEs at T2 predicted higher emotional reactivity and lower planning at T3. Lower inhibition, updating, and flexibility at T2 predicted more APEs at T3. Accordingly, we found a negative bidirectional relationship between inhibition, updating, and flexibility with APEs. Our findings highlight that during middle childhood more APEs predict lower SR, which in turn predicts more experiences of peer victimization and rejection.

Linking trauma to mental health in the statewide Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network (TX-YDSRN)

Rates of youth depression and suicide are rising worldwide and represent public health crises. The present study examined the relationship between trauma history and symptoms of depression, suicidal ideation, and anxiety among suicidal and depressed youth. A diverse group of 1000 8-20-year-olds enrolled in the statewide Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network (TX-YDSRN) reported their trauma history (Traumatic Events Screening Inventory for Children) and symptoms of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire for adolescents; PHQ-A), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale; GAD-7), and suicidality (Concise Health Risk Tracking scale; CHRT-SR). Nearly half of the sample reported exposure to multiple categories of traumatic experiences. Number of trauma exposure categories significantly predicted PHQ-A and GAD-7 scores. Exposure to interpersonal trauma and to sexual trauma were significantly associated with PHQ-A, GAD-7, and CHRT-SR scores. The number of trauma exposure categories was associated with increased levels of anxiety and depression; however, only exposure to interpersonal or sexual trauma was associated with more suicidality. Clinicians should assess trauma exposure in patients seeking psychiatric care, especially for interpersonal and sexual trauma, which may be predictive of increased risk for suicidality in depressed youth. Future work should disentangle the effects of specific trauma types from multiple trauma exposure.

Social Anxiety and Bullying Victimization in Children and Early Adolescents: The Role of Developmental Period and Immigrant Status

Research reveals that social anxiety may be predictive of bullying victimization, but it is not clear whether this relation stands for different groups of youth. The present study examines this association by employing a longitudinal design over 1 year and including the moderating role of developmental period (childhood vs. early adolescence) and students' immigrant status (native vs. non-native). T1 sample included 506 children (46.44% girls, mean age M = 8.55 years, SD = 0.55) and 310 early adolescents (50% girls, mean age = 12.54 years, SD = 0.59) recruited in schools in Northern Italy. Due to missing cases and drop-outs from T1 to T2, the final sample comprised 443 and 203 students from primary and middle school, respectively. Social anxiety and peer victimization were assessed through self-reported questionnaires. Results indicated that victimization at T2 was predicted by a 3-way interaction between T1 social anxiety, immigrant status, and developmental period. In particular, socially anxious early adolescents with an immigrant background were the most victimized. The results are discussed in terms of group dynamics and intergroup processes. The findings highlight the importance of personal variables in the cumulation of risks: social anxiety is more predictive of bullying victimization for immigrant early adolescents than for children or native early adolescents.

Our Health Counts: Examining associations between colonialism and ever being incarcerated among First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people in London, Thunder Bay, and Toronto, Canada

OBJECTIVES

Indigenous peoples have a disproportionately high prevalence of incarceration in the Canadian justice system. However, there is limited Indigenous-driven research examining colonialism and the justice system, specifically associations between racism, externally imposed family disruptions, and history of ever being incarcerated. Therefore, this study examined the association between the proportion of previous incarceration and family disruption, experiences of racism, and victimization for Indigenous adults in London, Thunder Bay, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The three communities expressed that they did not want comparison between the communities; rather, they wanted analysis of their community to understand where more supports were needed.

METHODS

Indigenous community partners used respondent-driven sampling (RDS) to collect data from First Nations, Inuit, and Métis (FNIM) peoples in London, Thunder Bay, and Toronto. Prevalence estimates, 95% confidence intervals, and relative risk were reported using unweighted Poisson models and RDS-adjusted proportions.

RESULTS

Proportions of ever being incarcerated ranged from 43.0% in London to 54.0% in Toronto and 72.0% in Thunder Bay. In all three cities, history of child protection involvement and experiencing racism was associated with an approximate 25.0% increase in risk for previous incarceration. In Toronto and London, victimization was associated with increased risk for incarceration.

CONCLUSION

This research highlights disproportionately high prevalence of ever being incarcerated among FNIM living in three Ontario cities. Experiencing racism, family disruption, and victimization are associated with incarceration. Decreasing the rates of family disruption, experiences of racism, and victimization should inform future policy and services to reduce the disproportionately high prevalence of incarceration for FNIM people living in urban settings.

Effects of intimate partner violence and homophobic bullying on ART adherence among young Thai men who have sex with men: a causal mediation analysis

Background

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy is crucial in determining health outcomes and secondary HIV transmission for people living with HIV/AIDS. Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) living with HIV are often challenged by the prevailing experiences of psychosocial stressors, such as intimate partner violence and homophobic bullying, which may negatively affect their HIV care engagement.

Methods

This study is the first to utilize a prospective cohort design (N= 185) involving YMSM living with HIV in Thailand. We examined the effects of intimate partner violence and homophobic bullying on ART adherence. We also tested the mediating effect of depression on the relationship between intimate partner violence and homophobic bullying on ART adherence.

Results

We found that intimate partner violence (AOR: 2.58, 95% CI: 1.13, 5.42) and homophobic bullying (AOR: 2.40, 95% CI: 1.26, 4.48) were associated with subsequent ART nonadherence. Moreover, depression partially mediated 17.4% (95% CI: 0.75%, 56%) of the effect of homophobic bullying on ART nonadherence.

Conclusions

The results suggest that tailored interventions to optimize ART adherence should address the impacts of intimate partner violence and homophobic bullying for HIV+ YMSM. The screening and subsequent treatment of depression alone may not be sufficient to address the effects of intimate partner violence, homophobic bullying, and possibly other MSM-specific psychosocial stressors on ART adherence.

Conflict and social control among cannabis growers

AIMS

Illegal drug markets are often assumed to be violent and predatory due to the absence of third-party enforcement. While cannabis markets are generally considered to be relatively more peaceful, there has been little investigation of the levels of conflict and victimization among small-scale cannabis growers, particularly under different cannabis policy and enforcement settings. This paper explores prevalence and predictors of conflict and social control among small-scale cannabis growers.

METHODS

The data were obtained from an online convenience survey of small-scale cannabis growers from 13 countries (Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, New Zealand, Portugal, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, and Uruguay) from August 2020 to September 2021 (N = 5667). Key measures collected included the types of victimization due to cannabis growing, the perpetrators of these predatory actions, reasons for the conflict, and the grower's response to being victimized. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify predictors of different types of victimization and social control responses among cannabis cultivators.

RESULTS

Most growers (76 %) never directly experienced violence or other victimization related to their cannabis cultivation. However, about one-quarter of growers had been victimized at some point, mostly involving theft, with physical violence rare. Growing outdoors, growing with others, growing more plants, and being a more seasoned grower increased the risk of victimization. Growers who were motivated by profit were more susceptible to theft. Surprisingly, growers in legal recreational jurisdictions experienced greater levels of theft and violent victimization than growers in illegal jurisdictions. Nonviolent social control responses predominated among the growers, mostly characterized by toleration but also avoidance and negotiation.

CONCLUSION

While most growers reported no victimization, a substantial minority did so, largely theft rather than violence, and typically did not report employing retaliatory violence. Social control responses were mostly nonviolent. These findings varied under different cannabis policy and enforcement environments. Cannabis legalization does not eliminate opportunities for theft and violence related to cannabis cultivation.

Development and codesign of flourish: A digital suicide prevention intervention for LGBTQ+ youth who have experienced online victimization

Background

LGBTQ+ youth experience disproportionately high rates of online victimization (OV), referring to harmful remarks, images, or behaviors in online settings, which is associated with suicidal risk. Current services have gaps in supporting LGBTQ+ youth facing OV events. To address these gaps, this study aims to develop Flourish, a digital suicide prevention intervention for LGBTQ+ youth who have experienced OV.

Methods

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 LGBTQ+ youth with past-year history of OV and lifetime history of suicidality, 11 of their parents, and 10 LGBTQ+-serving professionals. Subsequently, an iterative codesign process was conducted with 22 youth through individual and group design sessions, followed by usability testing. Data were recorded and transcribed. Qualitative interviews were analyzed using a qualitative description approach, and data from design sessions and usability testing were analyzed using rapid qualitative techniques.

Results

Interviews with youth, parents, and professionals suggested preferences for Flourish to be a partially automated, text message intervention leveraging web-based content that is a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth to seek support for OV through education, coping skills, and help-seeking resources. School and mental health services professionals considered the potential for implementing Flourish within youth services settings. Usability testing, assessed through the System Usability Scale, yielded an average rating of 91, indicating excellent perceived usability.

Conclusions

Flourish has potential to be an acceptable intervention to support LGBTQ+ youth following OV. Future steps will include testing the feasibility and efficacy of Flourish and further examining Flourish's potential for implementation within services for LGBTQ+ youth.

Virtual Socializing and Nonlinear Effects on Victimization

Previous research documents relationships between unstructured socializing activities and in-person victimization in adolescents. In parallel, there is a body of research which has linked virtual socialization activities (i.e., social networking, texting, video chatting, phone usage) with both online and in-person victimization. The majority of research in this area, however, has assumed the relationship between time spent engaging in virtual socializing and victimization is linear. Yet, there are several reasons to anticipate that while virtual socializing may initially increase the risks for in-person victimization, after adolescents begin spending a significant portion of their free time socializing virtually this may function to displace time they would have otherwise spent engaging in unstructured socializing in-person. As a result, very high levels of engagement in virtual socializing may actually lower the risks for in-person victimization. This study addresses this gap in the literature by utilizing negative binomial regression and logistic regression to test for nonlinearity in the relationship between virtual socializing and three forms of in-person victimization (i.e., violent, property, and in-person bullying) using data from the 8th and 10th grade 2018 cohort of Monitoring the Future. In addition, this study tests for nonlinearity in the relationship between virtual socializing and one form of online victimization (i.e., cyberbullying). Our findings reveal that virtual socializing is associated with all four forms of victimization. In addition, tests for nonlinearity revealed that virtual socializing exhibits a nonlinear relationship with in-person property victimization and cyberbullying victimization. Additional analyses revealed differential relationships between individual virtual socializing activities and the risks for property victimization. On the other hand, three out of the four forms of virtual socializing activities were found to exhibit nonlinear relationships with the likelihood of cyberbullying victimization. Overall, these findings imply that virtual socializing activities appear to exhibit nonlinear relationships with several forms of victimization.

Firearm injury among people experiencing homelessness: Cross-sectional evidence from a national survey of United States emergency departments

Objectives

Persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) are at high risk for violent victimization. This study leverages unique data from a national study in the United States of America to provide estimates of non-fatal firearm injury among PEH and to describe the contexts related to injury, such as substance use, intent of the injury, and precipitating interpersonal factors.

Study design

Cross-sectional.

Methods

Data from the 1993-2020 National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-Firearm Injury Surveillance Study (NEISS-FISS) were used to describe the context and characteristics of non-fatal firearm injury among PEH aged 16 years or older. Homeless status and substance use data were extracted from a de-identified narrative field. Estimates were weighted to account for the NEISS-FISS complex sampling design.

Results

Probable homelessness was identified in 0.10% of cases (n = 3,225). Substance use was documented in 22.73% of cases. Assault comprised 82.64% of injuries. Patients were mostly male (81.38%). Missing data were common on contextual variables: verbal argument (64.62%), physical fight (54.48%) or other criminal activity (62.33%).

Conclusions

Assault is a leading cause of non-fatal firearm injury for PEH and is greater than rates of assault in non-fatal firearm injuries in the general population. Substance use was documented in nearly one quarter of patients, although this is less than expected given prior evidence. Reliance on narrative fields for key variables likely underestimates rates of PEH and substance use.

Victimization and abuse among children with disabilities: Age adjusted rates in a US national sample

BACKGROUND

Research has indicated that children with disabilities are at higher risk for victimization although the literature on this topic is limited.

OBJECTIVE

We examined rates of assault, sexual victimization, peer-sibling victimization, property crime, maltreatment, and poly-victimization among youth in the United States with and without disabilities. We examined these rates for three age groups (children ages 0-4 years, ages 5-11 years, and ages 12-17 years).

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

We use data from the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV), waves I (2008), II (2011), and III (2014). These are cross-sectional nationally representative samples of children and youth ages one month to 17 years (N = 12,634).

RESULTS

Considering children of all ages together, children in all disability categories, except for physical disability, were at higher risk for poly-victimization. Victimization exposure overall is higher among older children (except for assault among very young children with developmental or learning disabilities), though the disparity between children with and without disabilities generally narrows as children get older. Age of the child impacted the relationships between disability and victimization. Very young children with physical disabilities were at heightened risk for most types of victimization while children with internalizing disabilities were at heightened risk for assault, property crime, and maltreatment in middle childhood and adolescence. Children with externalizing disabilities were at heightened risk for most types of victimization across all ages while developmental disabilities appeared to be risk factor for very young children and a potentially protective factor at later ages though these varied by type of victimization.

CONCLUSION

Victimization risk varied by victimization and disability types. This study demonstrates the importance of controlling for demographic characteristics, especially age of the child in estimating the prevalence of victimization among children with disabilities and establishes the importance of type-specific analyses by victimization type, disability type, and age of the child.

The Individual Victim. Hypogeneralization within a New Social Type

Over the past several decades we have seen increased attention paid to victimhood. However, many of these dialogues are only tangentially related to actual experiences of victimization. They are better understood as reflections of a new Simmelian social type, that is, a new pattern emerging within psycho-social interaction-namely, the Victim. The current reflections focus on the meaning making processes within these broader discussions of victimhood. We first briefly review Georg Simmel's understanding of social types and explore the Victim as a new social type. We then examine how the process of hypogeneralization appears within social types, including the Victim, whereby the patterned social interactions that constitute a social type are seen as a single individual or collective. Finally, we examine a recent example from popular discourse of the hypogeneralized Victim.

Mental Health and Violence in Children and Adolescents

This article examines the complex interplay between mental health and violence among children. Although children with mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators, this article describes the few mental health conditions associated with increased violent behavior among children. Next, the authors examine the spectrum of mental health sequelae among children following exposure to various forms of violence. Lastly, the authors discuss the underutilization of mental health services in this population and highlight screening and intervention tools available to pediatric clinicians caring for children exposed to violence.

What Works for Whom in School-Based Anti-bullying Interventions? An Individual Participant Data Meta-analysis

The prevalence of bullying worldwide is high (UNESCO, 2018). Over the past decades, many anti-bullying interventions have been developed to remediate this problem. However, we lack insight into for whom these interventions work and what individual intervention components drive the total intervention effects. We conducted a large-scale individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis using data from 39,793 children and adolescents aged five to 20 years (Mage = 12.58, SD = 2.34) who had participated in quasi-experimental or randomized controlled trials of school-based anti-bullying interventions (i.e., 10 studies testing nine interventions). Multilevel logistic regression analyses showed that anti-bullying interventions significantly reduced self-reported victimization (d =  - 0.14) and bullying perpetration (d =  - 0.07). Anti-bullying interventions more strongly reduced bullying perpetration in younger participants (i.e., under age 12) and victimization for youth who were more heavily victimized before the intervention. We did not find evidence to show that the inclusion of specific intervention components was related to higher overall intervention effects, except for an iatrogenic effect of non-punitive disciplinary methods-which was strongest for girls. Exploratory analyses suggested that school assemblies and playground supervision may have harmful effects for some, increasing bullying perpetration in youth who already bullied frequently at baseline. In conclusion, school-based anti-bullying interventions are generally effective and work especially well for younger children and youth who are most heavily victimized. Further tailoring of interventions may be necessary to more effectively meet the needs and strengths of specific subgroups of children and adolescents.

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.

Prevalence and correlates of knife-related victimization: Insights from the 2019 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample

Few studies have explored the incidence and general trends in knife-related victimizations in the United States (US), especially in settings where preventive interventions can potentially be initiated such as emergency departments (EDs). The goal of the present investigation was to provide an empirical portrait of the psychosocial and behavioral health characteristics of patients assaulted by sharp objects, particularly knives, as revealed in EDs in the US, as less research has focused on knife victimization in the US than internationally. This study uses data from the 2019 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS), which is part of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project distributed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Findings revealed that demographically males (especially those aged 18-25), those in poverty, and members of racially minoritized groups were more likely to be present with knife-related assault. Key factors increasing the odds of knife-related victimization treated in EDs were homelessness, legal involvement, and substance use, particularly alcohol and stimulant use disorder. Somewhat surprisingly, mental health diagnosis was not associated with increased knife-related victimization. Although EDs are critical to treating knife-related victimization, they are also potentially key points to launch prevention for high-risk individuals to reduce subsequent violence stemming from escalation of interpersonal disputes.

Perpetrators and victims of cyberbullying among youth with conduct disorder

Due to modern technological innovations, aggressive behaviors have expanded into the cyberspace, creating a new matter of public concern: cyberbullying. Antisocial and aggressive behaviors, including bullying are characteristic for children and adolescents diagnosed with conduct disorder (CD), raising the question whether these youths are highly involved in cyberbullying experiences, too. 206 participants with CD versus typically developing controls (TDCs) aged 9-19 years (57% girls) were included in the study. Individuals completed several self-report measures investigating cyber- and traditional bullying experiences, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to explain the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and perpetration with demographic and clinical variables. Experiences of cyberbullying victimization and perpetration were significantly higher among youth with CD compared to TDCs, and this was accompanied by significantly higher scores on a measure of traditional bullying in CD versus TDCs. CD diagnosis, female sex and higher levels of callous-unemotional (CU) traits were each uniquely associated with increased experiences of cyberbullying victimization, whereas CD diagnosis, higher levels of CU traits and older age were each uniquely associated with increased experiences of cyberbullying perpetration. Individuals with CD, compared to TDCs are at higher risk of becoming cyberbully victims and perpetrators, hence representing an important novel aspect in the assessment and treatment of these youths.

Crime and victimization outcomes following civil rights limits to the use of compulsory treatment

Community treatment orders (CTOs) have been associated with reduced crime/victimization-risk. Australia's ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) enabled patient-rights-advocacy to limit CTO-assignment to persons lacking decision-making-capacity. This effort was accompanied by a 15% reduction in CTO-utilization. Has this change affected crime/victimization-involvements of patients with schizophrenia-diagnoses? In Victoria Australia, the study considers crime/victimization-involvement among three patient-groups recruited with the same sampling-algorithm in the decade before (2000-2009, N = 14,711) and after (2010-2019, N = 10,702) CRPD-ratification. Each group is its own-control. Each group's positive-outcome across decades would be "no increase" in crime/victimization-involvement or in the ratio of the group's incident-rates to the State's. Following CRPD-ratification, first-hospitalized-patients with at least one CTO-assignment doubled their involvement in major crime-perpetrations (from 13% to 27%), non-CTO-hospitalized-patients almost doubled (from 10% to 18%), and 11% of outpatients were involved when none were before. Overall, a third (34%) were victimized-by-major-crime up from 28%, with 25% of outpatients experiencing victimization when none had before. Increases were most evident in major-crimes, led by assaults/abductions. Capacity-constraints on compulsory-treatment are associated with increases in crime/victimization-involvement, a transfer of responsibility for patients with schizophrenia-diagnoses from the mental-health-system to the criminal-justice-system, validation of dangerousness stereotypes, and growing negative family impact.

Bullying at 8 years and violent offenses by 31 years: the Finnish nationwide 1981 birth cohort study

This study explored the associations between bullying perpetration and victimization at 8 years of age and violent offenses by the age of 31. Data were obtained for subjects enrolled in a population-based longitudinal birth cohort study. In 1989, 5813 8-year-old children (attrition 3.4%), and their parents and teachers, were surveyed about bullying. When 5405 subjects (attrition 10.2%) were 15-31 years of age, violent offenses were extracted from the Finnish National Police Register. We analyzed the data by sex and categorized bullying perpetration and victimization by frequency. Violent offenses were categorized by severity. Cox regression analyses estimated the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). When they were compared to males who had not been bullies at 8 years of age, frequent male bullies had an increased hazard for violent offenses (adjusted HR 3.01, 95% CI 2.11-4.33) and severe violent offenses (adjusted HR 2.86, 95% CI 1.07-7.59) as adults, even when the data were controlled for them being victims, parental education level, family structure and child psychopathology. Frequent female bullies also had an increased hazard for violent offenses, compared to those who had not bullied others (adjusted HR 5.27, 95% CI 1.51-18.40). Frequent male bullying was associated with higher odds for violent offenses compared to only bullying sometimes. Being a victim was not associated with violent offenses. Preventing childhood bullying could reduce violent offenses by both sexes.

Reconsidering the role of interpersonal stress in eating pathology: Sensitivity to rejection might be more important than actual experiences of peer stress

Rejection sensitivity (i.e., the tendency to anxiously expect, readily perceive, and overreact to real or perceived rejection) is theorized to play a role in the onset and maintenance of disordered eating. Although rejection sensitivity has repeatedly been associated with eating pathology in clinical and community samples, the pathways through which this psychological trait influences eating pathology have been not fully established. The current study investigated peer-related stress, which can be influenced by rejection sensitivity and is associated with eating pathology, as a mechanism linking these constructs. In two samples of women - 189 first-year undergraduate students and 77 community women with binge eating - we examined whether rejection sensitivity was indirectly associated with binge eating and weight/shape concerns via ostracism and peer victimization, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Our hypotheses were not supported: there were no indirect associations between rejection sensitivity and eating pathology via interpersonal stress in either sample. However, we did find that rejection sensitivity was directly associated with weight/shape concerns in both samples and with binge eating in the clinical sample in cross-sectional (but not longitudinal) analyses. Our findings suggest that the association between rejection sensitivity and disordered eating is not dependent on actual experiences of interpersonal stress. That is, simply anticipating or perceiving rejection may be sufficient to play a role in eating pathology. As such, interventions targeting rejection sensitivity may be helpful in the treatment of eating pathology.

Non-Disclosure and Suicidal Ideation in Adolescent Victims of Bullying: An Analysis from the Family and School Context

In recent years, suicide rates among bullying victims have raised much concern among educators and health professionals. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of preventable death among adolescents, data that warn about the need to monitor the signs before victims' suicidal behavior to prevent this fatal outcome. In the present study, the role of victims' silence about their victimization situation was analysed, as well as the particular impact of family and school environments. More specifically, we examined the mediating role of the victim's non-disclosure between the parental styles (observing the father's and mother's roles separately) and the school climate, concerning suicidal ideation in victims. The sample consisted of 2,977 adolescents (48.5% boys), aged 11-17 years (M = 14.1, SD = 1.42), of whom 635 (21.3%) reported having been victims of bullying in the past year. The results showed that parental styles of rejection and indifference were positively related to victims' non-disclosure of bullying and suicidal ideation. Conversely, a positive school climate showed a negative relationship with victims' disclosure of the bullying situation and suicidal ideation. The findings also indicated that non-disclosure mediates the relationship between the mother's parental style and suicidal ideation. These findings expand knowledge about the role of bullying victims' social context and the variable disclosure with regards to suicidal ideation in adolescents victimized by peers at school.

Can the Negative Cognitive Bias Be Predicted by Early Victimization of College Students? The Dual Role of Resilience

Victimization could cause cognitive dysfunction like negative cognitive bias. While there are studies of contemporaneous consequences, there is insufficient research on whether and how early victimization will affect adult negative cognitive bias. This study examined the dual role of resilience (i.e., whether resilience would moderate the relationship between early victimization and negative cognitive bias, and/or whether resilience would mediate the same relationship). A total of 972 college students (40% were males, Mage = 19.25, SD = 1.17, range = 16-25) from three universities in Central China completed a series of anonymous questionnaires on early victimization, resilience, and negative cognitive bias. After controlling for demographic variables, the results indicated that early victimization was positively correlated with negative cognitive bias of college students. Moderation analysis indicated that resilience moderated the relationship between early victimization and negative cognitive bias. Mediation analysis revealed that resilience partially mediated the same relationship. Specifically, the effect of early victimization on negative cognitive bias was stronger for college students with high level of resilience than those with low level of resilience. Meanwhile, early victimization affected negative cognitive bias partially through resilience. The findings elucidate the dual role of resilience in the relationship between early victimization and negative cognitive bias. On the one hand, negative cognitive bias can be reduced by enhancing resilience among victims, on the other hand, the protective role of resilience may be weakened with the increase of victimization, reminding us to pay more attention to victims with high level of resilience.

Brief Report Prevalence of Bullying Among Autistic Adolescents in the United States: Impact of Disability Severity Status

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of bullying behaviors among autistic and non-autistic adolescents between the ages of 12-17 years in the U.S. and the extent to which the severity of such disability impacts bullying behaviors, based on the 2019-2020 National Survey of Children's Health.

METHODS

Parental reports of bullying perpetration and victimization were used to compare bullying behaviors among a weighted sample of 1011 autistic and 28,016 non-autistic adolescents.

RESULTS

Adjusting for participant sex, household income level, highest parent education, and race/ethnicity, autistic adolescents were significantly more likely to engage in bullying perpetration and experience bullying victimization than non-Autistic adolescents. Compared to non-autistic peers, autistic adolescents with moderate/severe autism were most likely to bully others (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.80, p < 0.05) and experience bullying victimization (aOR = 5.13, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

This study provides an update on the prevalence of bullying perpetration and victimization among autistic adolescents, however, the influence of factors such as socialization and mental health on bullying behaviors needs exploration.

Traditional Bullying and Cyberbullying Victimization Independently Predict Changes in Problematic Internet Gaming in a Longitudinal Sample

PURPOSE

Bullying and problematic Internet gaming (PIG) are two concerning phenomena among adolescents. Research suggests an association between them; however, longitudinal studies are scarce. Therefore, this study examined whether traditional and cybervictimization are prospective risk factors for PIG and how gender, school type, and age influence these relationships.

METHODS

Adolescents (grades 5-13; N = 4,390) answered two surveys one year apart which were linked by individual codes. They were classified as "victims" based on the Olweus Bullying Questionnaire-Revised. Changes in PIG (T2-T1) were computed based on nine items reflecting the diagnostic criteria for DSM-5 Internet Gaming Disorder.

RESULTS

Traditional and cybervictimization independently predicted changes in PIG. The emergence of traditional victimization only, cybervictimization only, and particularly, both forms of victimization simultaneously, was associated with an increase in PIG. A decrease in PIG was only found if victimization terminated in both contexts. Further, an additive effect was found if traditional victimization newly extended to cyberspace. For boys and B-level students, the emergence of traditional victimization was associated with a larger increase in PIG than for girls and A-level students, when compared to the absence of traditional victimization. For boys, this also applied for cybervictimization.

DISCUSSION

The emergence of bullying victimization in either an offline or online context appears to be a risk factor for PIG. Importantly, victimization must be stopped in both contexts for a decrease in PIG. Therefore, prevention programs need to focus on bullying offline as well as online to counter PIG. Efforts should especially focus on boys and B-level students.