Which Children Are More Likely to Be Targets of Peer Victimization?

From ages 6 to 17 years, patterns of high peer victimization were predicted by early externalizing behavior problems, male gender, and having a father with antisocial behavior.

Peer victimization is estimated to occur in 25% to 60% of children and has a negative impact on mental health. To investigate the trajectories of peer victimization across childhood, researchers analyzed data from a study that followed a birth cohort of 1760 Canadian children to age 17 years. At eight different time points starting at age 6 years, children self-reported whether they had peer victimization experiences, including physical, verbal, exclusion from relationships, or property attacks.

The researchers identified four developmental trajectories of peer victimization: (1) consistently low (33% of children); (2) moderate-emerging, in which children had moderate levels between ages 6 and 12 years, persisting through adolescence (30%); …

Reviewing Author

Jenny Radesky, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardMelissa & Doug Toys (Consultant and Board of Directors)

Grant/Research SupportNational Institute for Child Health and Development; National Institutes of Health

Jenny Radesky, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardMelissa & Doug Toys (Consultant and Board of Directors)

Grant/Research SupportNational Institute for Child Health and Development; National Institutes of Health

Which Children Are More Likely to Be Targets of Peer Victimization?

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Reviewing Author