Mother-child interaction and victimization by peers during middle childhood

Mother-child interactions that might predict peer victimization for children during middle childhood were examined. 184 middle class boys and girls in the 4th through 7th grades participated in the study. Child report measures of 6 dimensions of maternal parenting style and 7 types of child coping during mother-child conflict were developed. These family variables were reduced to a smaller set of variables and related to peer reports of children's victimization by peers, internalizing problems with peers, and externalizing problems with peers. Results indicate that, for boys, maternal overprotectiveness is associated with peer victimization for boys who use fearful or submissive coping during mother-child conflicts. Maternal overprotectiveness also predicts boys' internalizing problems with peers. Moreover, boys' internalizing problems with peers mediate the relation between maternal overprotectiveness and peer victimization. For girls, maternal hostility is associated with peer victimization for girls who are physically weak, and maternal hostility predicts internalizing problems with peers. As is the case with boys, internalizing problems with peers mediate the link between maternal hostility and victimization by peers. For both boys and girls, maternal hostility predicted externalizing problems with peers. A theory that explains gender differences in relations between maternal behaviors and peer victimization was advanced.