Citation

Manring S, Christian Elledge L, Swails LW, Vernberg EM. J. Abnorm. Child Psychol. 2018; 46(4): 795-809.

Affiliation

Clinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas, Dole Human Development Building, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Room 2015, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10802-017-0328-z

PMID

28752300

Abstract

This study examined whether social preference was a mechanism that explained the relation between proactive and reactive aggression and peer victimization. Participants were 494 children in grades 2-5. Proactive and reactive aggression was assessed via a self-report measure and indices of social preference and peer victimization were assessed via a peer nomination inventory. Data was collected during the fall and spring of two academic years. The relations among aggression, social preference, and peer victimization varied as a function of aggression and gender. For girls, reactive aggression was a significant negative predictor of social preference.

FINDINGS also revealed social preference mediated the relation between reactive aggression and peer victimization for girls. This pathway did not hold for boys. There was some evidence that proactive aggression was negatively associated with peer victimization, but only for girls.

FINDINGS from the current study suggest social preference may be a key mechanism through which reactive aggression is associated with future victimization for girls. Boys' aggression was not related to subsequent peer victimization. Future research and intervention efforts should consider gender differences and the function of aggression when investigating children's peer victimization experiences.

Language: en

Keywords

Peer acceptance; Peer relationships; Peer victimization; Proactive and reactive aggression; Teacher-student relationships