Victims--Psychology

The present study examines whether one aspect of problematic adjustment--poor self-concept--contributes to victimization, is a consequence of victimization, or both. A sample of 187 third- through seventh-grade children were tested in both the fall and spring of the academic year on four self-report, self-concept measures: (a) global self-esteem, (b) social self-esteem, (c) self-efficacy for assertion, and (d) self-efficacy for aggression. At both times of testing, children also reported classmates who manifested both victimized and aggressive behaviors. Results indicated that social self-esteem and self-efficacy were both antecedents of victimization even after controlling for T1 levels of victimization. Social self-esteem was also an outcome of victimization after controlling for T1 levels of social self-esteem. A secondary consideration of the research was to investigate whether poor self-concept is predictive or an outcome of aggression, and results are discussed. Theoretical explanations for the specific relations found are advanced.

One hundred ninety-four children in the fourth through eighth grades were administered self-report questionnaires to measure hyperactivating and deactivating coping strategies with their parents and best friends. Subjects also completed a peer nomination inventory designed to assess the degree to which peers are aggressive and/or victimized. It was hypothesized that children who scored higher on hyperactivating strategies would be rated as higher in victimization and that children who scored higher on deactivating strategies would be rated as higher in aggression. It was also hypothesized that as children get older, other relationships besides that with the mother begin to play a major role in predicting children's behavior with peers. Results confirmed these hypotheses.

This study explored the social-cognitive functioning of aggressive and victimized elementary school children. Fourth- through seventh-grade male and female children (mean age 11.8 years) responded to four self-report questionnaires which assessed: (a) hostile attributional bias; (b) outcome expectancies for aggressive behavior; (c) outcome values for aggressive behavior; and (d) self-perceived efficacy for regulating three states of emotional arousal (anger, fear, and euphoria). Aggressive children, compared to nonaggressive children, expected aggression to result in control over their victims, did not expect retaliation from their victims, and did not care whether their victims tried to retaliate or not. Victimized children were more likely to expect retaliation for aggressing.

Based on a peer nomination device measuring victimization and aggression (VAI), 172 children from grades four through seven were classified into four subgroups: aggressive victims, nonaggressive victims, aggressive nonvictims, and nonaggressive nonvictims. Another peer nomination inventory measuring 13 behavioral attributes (BAI) was used to assess behaviors correlated with the subject classifications. Distinctive behavioral profiles for the four subgroups were found. Of particular importance were findings supporting the hypothesis that two distinct types of victims exist: aggressive or "provocative" victims and nonaggressive or "passive" victims. Both types of victims lack prosocial skills and reinforce aggressive attacks by crying, but the two types of victims differ in how they elicit aggression. The provocative victim evidences disruptive behavior, blames others, has difficulty managing conflict, and is perceived as dishonest. The passive victim is withdrawn but expresses anxiety and depression, signalling vulnerability. Implications for conceptualization of peer problem behavior and for intervention are discussed.

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.