Peer Victimization, Global Self-Worth, and Anxiety in Middle School Children

Examined relations among peer victimization, global self-worth, and anxiety, with particular interest in the potential mediating and moderating effects of global self-worth in the anticipated relations between peer victimization and anxiety. Sixth-grade children (N = 279) from a public middle school in southwestern Virginia participated. Reported levels of peer victimization were similar to those reported in previous studies, as were levels of anxiety. Sex differences were noted on measures of peer victimization and anxiety with boys reporting more victimization but less anxiety than girls. All subsequent analyses were conducted separately by sex. Significant relations were found among all variables of interest. For girls, global self-worth was found to mediate the peer victimization-anxiety relation, suggesting that victimization experiences negatively influenced girls' views of themselves and helped explain elevated levels of anxiety reported by them. For boys, global self-worth moderated the peer victimization-anxiety relation. Boys with higher global self-worth reported fewer anxiety symptoms than boys with lower global self-worth. Implications of these findings are discussed.

[1]  D. A. Roth,et al.  The relationship between memories for childhood teasing and anxiety and depression in adulthood. , 2002, Journal of anxiety disorders.

[2]  G. Holmbeck.  Post-hoc probing of significant moderational and mediational effects in studies of pediatric populations. , 2002, Journal of pediatric psychology.

[3]  S. Joseph,et al.  Development of the multidimensional peer-victimization scale , 2000 .

[4]  E. Andreou.  Bully/Victim Problems and Their Association With Psychological Constructs in 8- to 12-Year-Old Greek Schoolchildren , 2000 .

[5]  Golda S. Ginsburg,et al.  Gender role orientation and fearfulness in children with anxiety disorders. , 2000, Journal of anxiety disorders.

[6]  K. Kumpulainen,et al.  Children involved in bullying: psychological disturbance and the persistence of the involvement. , 1999, Child abuse & neglect.

[7]  K Rigby,et al.  Countering bullying at an australian secondary school with students as helpers. , 1999, Journal of adolescence.

[8]  N. Crick,et al.  Relational and overt forms of peer victimization: a multiinformant approach. , 1998, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[9]  G. Miller.  Childhood bullying and teasing: What school personnel, other professionals, and parents can do , 1998 .

[10]  H. Merckelbach,et al.  The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): Relationship with anxiety and depression in normal children , 1998 .

[11]  H. Merckelbach,et al.  Common fears and their relationship to anxiety disorders symptomatology in normal children , 1998 .

[12]  Christina Salmivalli,et al.  Stability and change of behavior in connection with bullying in schools: A two‐year follow‐up , 1998 .

[13]  W. Craig,et al.  The relationship among bullying, victimization, depression, anxiety, and aggression in elementary school children , 1998 .

[14]  D. Olweus,et al.  Bully/victim problems in school: Knowledge base and an effective intervention program , 1997 .

[15]  G. Holmbeck.  Toward terminological, conceptual, and statistical clarity in the study of mediators and moderators: examples from the child-clinical and pediatric psychology literatures. , 1997, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[16]  S. Joseph,et al.  Assessment of bully/victim problems in 8 to 11 year-olds. , 1996, The British journal of educational psychology.

[17]  C. Schaefer,et al.  Clinical Handbook of Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents , 1995 .

[18]  T. Ollendick,et al.  Perceptions of fear in other Children and adolescents: The role of gender and friendship status , 1995, Journal of abnormal child psychology.

[19]  N. Crick,et al.  Relational aggression, gender, and social-psychological adjustment. , 1995, Child development.

[20]  S. Joseph,et al.  Self-concept and peer victimization among schoolchildren , 1995 .

[21]  Phillip T. Slee,et al.  Peer victimization and its relationship to depression among Australian primary school students , 1995 .

[22]  Stephen Joseph,et al.  Peer victimization and its relationship to self-concept and depression among schoolgirls , 1994 .

[23]  Larry E. Toothaker,et al.  Multiple Regression: Testing and Interpreting Interactions , 1991 .

[24]  Brendan J. Byrne.  Coping With Bullying in Schools , 1993 .

[25]  Gary W. Ladd,et al.  Children's perceptions of their peer experiences: Attributions, loneliness, social anxiety, and social avoidance. , 1993 .

[26]  Peter K. Smith,et al.  A Survey of the Nature and Extent of Bullying in Junior/Middle and Secondary Schools. , 1993 .

[27]  D. Olweus.  Bully/victim problems among schoolchildren: Long-term consequences and an effective intervention program. , 1993 .

[28]  K Rigby,et al.  Australian school children's self appraisal of interpersonal relations: The bullying experience , 1993, Child psychiatry and human development.

[29]  M. Boulton,et al.  Bully/victim problems among middle school children. , 1992, The British journal of educational psychology.

[30]  K. Lagerspetz,et al.  Do Girls Manipulate and Boys Fight? Developmental Trends in Regard to Direct and Indirect Aggression , 1992 .

[31]  C. Midgley,et al.  Transitions during early adolescence: Changes in children's domain-specific self-perceptions and general self-esteem across the transition to junior high school. , 1991 .

[32]  B. Thyer.  Diagnosis and Treatment of Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders , 1991, Behavior modification.

[33]  D. Beidel.  Social phobia and overanxious disorder in school-age children. , 1991, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

[34]  D. Olweus.  Bully/victim problems among schoolchildren: Basic facts and effects of a school based intervention program. , 1991 .

[35]  T. Ollendick,et al.  Origins of childhood fears: an evaluation of Rachman's theory of fear acquisition. , 1991, Behaviour research and therapy.

[36]  C. G. Last,et al.  Symptoms of anxiety disorders in normal children. , 1990, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

[37]  T H Ollendick,et al.  Fears in children and adolescents: reliability and generalizability across gender, age and nationality. , 1989, Behaviour research and therapy.

[38]  D. G. Perry,et al.  Victims of Peer Aggression. , 1988 .

[39]  M. Hersen,et al.  Association between anxiety and depression in children and adolescents with anxiety disorders , 1988, Journal of abnormal child psychology.

[40]  K. Lagerspetz,et al.  Is Indirect Aggression Typical of Females? Gender Differences in Aggressiveness in 11- to 12-Year-Old Children , 1988 .

[41]  C. G. Last,et al.  Comorbidity among Childhood Anxiety Disorders , 1987, The Journal of nervous and mental disease.

[42]  G. Bernstein,et al.  School phobia: the overlap of affective and anxiety disorders. , 1986, Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry.

[43]  R. Muñoz.  Anxiety disorders. , 1986, New directions for mental health services.

[44]  D. A. Kenny,et al.  The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. , 1986, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[45]  T. Ollendick.  Reliability and validity of the Revised Fear Surgery Schedule for Children (FSSC-R). , 1983, Behaviour research and therapy.

[46]  K. Lagerspetz,et al.  Group aggression among school children in three schools , 1982 .