NCJ Number
223473
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 37 Issue: 7 Dated: August 2008 Pages: 812-820
Date Published
August 2008
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This Italian study analyzed the relationships among peer overt and relational victimization and adolescents' satisfaction with friends.
Abstract
Boys reported being overtly victimized (threatening, hitting, and pushing) more often than did girls during the period from early to late childhood and adolescence. This is consistent with the findings of previous studies. In contrast, no gender differences emerged in the case of relational victimization (social exclusion), indicating that this form of peer harassment occurs among boys as well as girls, at least among adolescents. Further, there was a clear negative association between both overt and relational victimization and satisfaction with friends, which is one of the major components of life satisfaction for adolescents. The size of the effect of dissatisfaction with friends, however, was moderated by adolescents' level of need for positive relationships with significant others, such as peers. Taken together, these findings show the importance of including various forms of victimization in peer harassment research, as well as the assessment of a broad array of variables related to adolescents' adjustment in peer interactions. A total of 409 Italian adolescent boys and girls ages 14-16 completed a self-report measure of overt victimization and relational victimization. Participants' satisfaction with friends was measured with the Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale. The need for affective relationships was measured with the Affective Relationships Scale. The instruments were administered in a group format in the school classrooms. 2 tables, 1 figure, and 55 references