Lisa H. Rosen

Continuity and change in social and physical aggression from middle childhood through early adolescence.

For a sample followed from age 9-13 (N=281), this investigation examined developmental trajectories for social and physical aggression as measured by teacher ratings. Trajectories for both forms of aggression were estimated first separately, then jointly. Mean levels of both social and physical aggression decreased over time for the overall sample, but with high variability of individual trajectories. Subgroups followed high trajectories for both social and physical aggression. Joint estimation yielded six trajectories: low stable, low increasers, medium increasers, medium desisters, high desisters, and high increasers. Membership in the high increaser group was predicted by male gender, unmarried parents, African American ethnicity, and maternal authoritarian and permissive parenting. Permissive parenting also predicted membership in the medium increaser group. This is one of the first studies to examine social aggression longitudinally across this developmental period. Though the results challenge the claim that social aggression is at its peak in early adolescence, the findings emphasize the importance of considering different developmental trajectories in trying to understand origins and outcomes of aggression.

Persistent versus Periodic Experiences of Social Victimization: Predictors of Adjustment

This study examined self-reports of social victimization and parent reports of adjustment for a sample followed from fourth through seventh grades. Different patterns of social victimization experiences were identified; of the 153 students (79 girls) with complete data, 24% reported chronic social victimization, 23% reported transient experiences of social victimization, and 53% reported being socially victimized at no more than one time point. We examined whether students who experienced persistent and periodic social victimization were at greater risk for internalizing problems than nonvictims. Persistently victimized children demonstrated continuously elevated levels of internalizing problems. Children who were not originally victimized by social aggression but became victimized with time did not demonstrate higher levels of internalizing problems than did nonvictims. Findings were mixed for those who escaped social victimization during this period.

Joint trajectories for social and physical aggression as predictors of adolescent maladjustment: Internalizing symptoms, rule-breaking behaviors, and borderline and narcissistic personality features

This investigation examined the relation between developmental trajectories jointly estimated for social and physical aggression and adjustment problems at age 14. Teachers provided ratings of childrens social and physical aggression in Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 for a sample of 255 children (131 girls, 21% African American, 52% European American, 21% Mexican American). Participants, parents, and teachers completed measures of the adolescents adjustment to assess internalizing symptoms, rule-breaking behaviors, and borderline and narcissistic personality features. Results showed that membership in a high and rising trajectory group predicted rule-breaking behaviors and borderline personality features. Membership in a high desister group predicted internalizing symptoms, rule-breaking behaviors, and borderline and narcissistic personality features. The findings suggest that although low levels of social and physical aggression may not bode poorly for adjustment, individuals engaging in high levels of social and physical aggression in middle childhood may be at greatest risk for adolescent psychopathology, whether they increase or desist in their aggression through early adolescence.

Assessing peer victimization across adolescence: measurement invariance and developmental change.

An upward extension of the Revised Social Experience Questionnaire (Paquette & Underwood, 1999) was tested in a sample of adolescents followed longitudinally from 7th through 10th grade. We hypothesized that a 2-factor model with overt and social victimization factors would fit the data better than would a unidimensional model (a single general victimization factor) or a 3-factor model (separately examining verbal, physical, and social victimization). The 2-factor model best represented the data, and we found support for longitudinal invariance of this model across 7th through 10th grades for both boys and girls. Such findings of temporal invariance are important for further longitudinal comparisons, and we suggest future directions for using the Revised Adolescent Social Experience Questionnaire to examine stability and change in victimization as well as evaluating the effectiveness of intervention programs.

Instability in teacher ratings of children’s inattentive symptoms: Implications for the assessment of ADHD

Objective: To examine the cross-grade stability of clinically elevated teacher ratings of inattentive symptoms in 3 samples of elementary schoolchildren. Participants and Methods: Samples 1 and 2 included 27 first graders and 24 fourth graders, respectively, identified based on clinically elevated teacher ratings of inattentive symptoms. The third sample included 28 children in grades 1 to 4 from the Multimodal Treatment Study of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder Study) with a confirmed attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnosis. Teacher ratings of inattentive symptoms were completed an average of 12 to 14 months apart so that cross-grade stability of elevated ratings could be computed for each sample. Results: In all 3 samples, clinically elevated ratings persisted for less than 50% of children and between 25% and 50% had ratings that declined to within the normative range. The decline in attention difficulties was not related to hyperactivity, oppositional behavior, or anxiety at baseline, nor was it explained by children beginning medication treatment. Conclusions: Many elementary-aged children rated by their teachers as highly inattentive are not considered to demonstrate these problems the following year, even children with a confirmed attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnosis. The instability in clinically elevated teacher ratings found across 3 independent samples highlights the importance of annual reevaluations to avoid treating children for problems that may no longer be present.

Peer Victimization as a Mediator of the Relation Between Facial Attractiveness and Internalizing Problems

This study examined the relations among facial attractiveness, peer victimization, and internalizing problems in early adolescence. We hypothesized that experiences of peer victimization would partially mediate the relationship between attractiveness and internalizing problems. Ratings of attractiveness were obtained from standardized photographs of participants (93 girls and 82 boys). Teachers provided information regarding peer victimization experiences in sixth grade, and seventh-grade teachers assessed internalizing problems. Attractiveness was negatively correlated with victimization and internalizing problems. Experiences of peer victimization were positively correlated with internalizing problems. Structural equation modeling provided support for the hypothesized model of peer victimization partially mediating the relationship between attractiveness and internalizing problems. Implications for intervention programs and future research directions are discussed.

Feedback Seeking in Early Adolescence Self-Enhancement or Self-Verification?

The authors examined whether early adolescents (N = 90) solicit self-enhancing feedback (i.e., positive feedback) or self-verifying feedback (i.e., feedback congruent with self-views, even when these views are negative). Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders first completed a self-perception measure and then selected whether to receive positive or negative feedback from an unknown peer in different domains of self. Results were consistent with self-verification theory; adolescents who perceived themselves as having both strengths and weaknesses were more likely to seek negative feedback regarding a self-perceived weakness compared to a self-perceived strength. The authors found similar support for self-verification processes when they considered the entire sample regardless of perceived strengths and weaknesses; hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) examined the predictive power of ratings of self-perceived ability, certainty, and importance on feedback seeking for all participants and provided additional evidence of self-verification strivings in adolescence.

Social Victimization Trajectories From Middle Childhood Through Late Adolescence

Social victimization refers to being targeted by behaviors intended to harm ones social status or relationships (Underwood, 2003), including malicious gossip, friendship manipulation, and social exclusion (both verbal and non-verbal). The current study examined social victimization experiences longitudinally from middle childhood through late adolescence. Participants (N = 273, 139 females) reported on their social victimization experiences in grades 4-11 (ages 9 to 16 years). Using mixture (group-based) modeling, four social victimization trajectories were identified: low, medium decreasing, medium increasing, and elevated. High parent-child relationship quality decreased the odds of being in the elevated group compared to the low group; however, parent-child relationship quality was no longer a significant predictor when emotional dysfunction was added to the model. Higher emotional dysfunction and male gender increased the odds of being in the elevated group and medium increaser group relative to the low group even after controlling for parent-child relationship quality. Implications for intervention and future research directions are discussed.

Predicting anti-fat attitudes: individual differences based on actual and perceived body size, weight importance, entity mindset, and ethnicity

The purpose of the current study was to examine the relative impact of actual and perceived weight, weight importance, entity mindset, and ethnicity on anti-fat attitudes as well as to examine whether certain variables play the role of mediator. Participants included a multiethnic U.S. sample of 923 female undergraduates who completed a series of measures online. Lower BMI, higher perceived weight, higher importance of weight, endorsement of an entity mindset, and identification as White as compared to Black, Hispanic, or Asian predicted higher overall anti-fat attitudes. Examination of the individual Antifat Attitudes Questionnaire subscales (i.e. dislike, fear of fat, and willpower) using Relative Weight Analysis suggested that weight importance is an important predictor of multiple aspects of anti-fat attitudes. In addition, weight importance mediated the relationship between perceived weight and fear of fat as well as the relationship between ethnicity and dislike. Implications of findings and future research directions are discussed.

Teachers’ Perceptions of Bullying: A Focus Group Approach

The current qualitative study used a focus group approach to examine teachers’ perceptions of student aggressors and victims. Participants in the current study included 35 teachers from public elementary, middle, and high schools. Teachers’ responses to five questions about risk factors for aggression and victimization, adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies, and advice for victimized youth were analyzed using thematic analysis. Teachers frequently identified family factors as a risk factor for becoming an aggressor. Appearance-based factors, shyness, and emotional reactivity were commonly mentioned as risk factors for victimization. Teachers believed that strong displays of emotions, physical retaliation, and ignoring the situation were ineffective means for victims to respond to peer aggression. Reporting the aggression to an adult, appropriately standing up for oneself, and seeking support from friends were viewed as more effective strategies for responding to peer victimization. Directions for future research and implications for intervention are discussed.