Boyd SI, Mackin DM, Klein DN. Peer Victimization in Late Childhood Moderates the Relationship between Childhood Fear/Inhibition & Adolescent Externalizing Symptoms.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY 2020;
51:566-576. [PMID:
33125291 DOI:
10.1080/15374416.2020.1833336]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
Studies of the association between early childhood low temperamental fearfulness or behavioral inhibition (BI) and later externalizing symptoms are few and results are inconsistent, despite research from outside the temperament field that has linked fearlessness with externalizing problems. There is also a large literature showing that peer victimization (PV) predicts externalizing symptoms. However, no prior studies have examined the joint effect of low temperamental fearfulness/BI and PV on externalizing psychopathology. The current study examined the main and joint effects of low temperamental fearfulness/BI and PV on broad internalizing and externalizing problems, as well as more narrow forms of externalizing psychopathology.
METHOD
Participants included 559 children (86.5% white, 54% male) assessed at ages 3, 6, 9, and 12. Temperamental fearfulness/BI was assessed using laboratory observations at age 3. PV was assessed via semi-structured interviews at ages 6 and 9. Finally, internalizing and externalizing psychopathology were each assessed at ages 3 and 12.
RESULTS
After accounting for sex, race, and age 3 symptomatology, the joint effect of low temperamental fearfulness/BI and PV predicted higher levels of externalizing problems overall and specific externalizing symptom domains, but not internalizing problems.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that there is an association between low temperamental fearfulness/BI and later externalizing psychopathology, but that it depends on moderating factors such as PV.
Collapse