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Peer victimization in early adolescence: Association between physical and relational victimization and drug use, aggression, and delinquent behaviors among urban middle school students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2006

TERRI N. SULLIVAN ,
ALBERT D. FARRELL  and
WENDY KLIEWER
TERRI N. SULLIVAN
Affiliation:
Virginia Commonwealth University
ALBERT D. FARRELL
Affiliation:
Virginia Commonwealth University
WENDY KLIEWER
Affiliation:
Virginia Commonwealth University
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Abstract

This study examined associations between two forms of peer victimization, physical and relational, and externalizing behaviors including drug use, aggression, and delinquent behaviors among a sample of 276 predominantly African American eighth graders attending middle school in an urban public school system. Regression analyses indicated that physical victimization was significantly related to cigarette and alcohol use but not to advanced alcohol and marijuana use; relational victimization contributed uniquely to all categories of drug use after controlling for physical victimization. Physical victimization was also significantly related to physical and relational aggression and delinquent behaviors, and relational victimization made a unique contribution in the concurrent prediction of these behaviors. Physical victimization was more strongly related to both categories of alcohol use, aggression, and to delinquent behaviors among boys than among girls. In contrast, relational victimization was more strongly related to physical aggression and marijuana use among girls than among boys, but more strongly related to relational aggression among boys than among girls. These findings provide information about the generalizability of prior research and have important implications for intervention efforts.This research was supported by Cooperative Agreement U81/CCU309966 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The research and interpretations reported herein are the sole responsibility of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the CDC or represent the views, opinions, or policies of the CDC or its staff.

Type
Research Article
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 18 , Issue 1 , March 2006 , pp. 119 - 137
Copyright
© 2006 Cambridge University Press

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