Temporal stability of victims and aggressors and their association with emotional and behavioral problems in Argentinean adolescents

SANTIAGO RESETT

Gantes

Conferencia; XVI Conferencia de la European Association for Research on Adolescence (EARA); 2018

European Association for Research on Adolescence (EARA)

Bullying is an important risk factor for mental health of children and adolescents. There is considerable evidence for emotional problems among children and adolescents who experience bullying or peer victimization, and between bullying and behavioral problems, but cross-sectional studies cannot explore the direction of the relationship. Besides, longitudinal studies are crucial to explore stability of being victim and being aggressor. Exploring the direction of the link between victimization and emotional problems is vital to identify targets of victimization in adolescents and reducing cost of victimization. So, the purpose of this research was examining stability of victims and aggressor in three-time points and determine the direction of the relationship between emotional problems (depression and anxiety) and victimization, on one hand, and between behavioral problems (antisocial behavior and aggression), on the other hand. To this end, data were obtained from a sample of 485 students from two secondary schools attending first course, second and third in Parana, Entre Rios, Argentina. To measure victimization, they completed Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire, Kovacs Child Depression Inventory for depression, Rosenberg Psychosomatic Symptom Scale for anxiety, and aggressive behavior and antisocial behavior from Achenbach and Rescorla ASEBA, and some sociodemographic questions. Results: with respect to stability of victim status in each of the three times, a 39% was victim in the three times; as regarding aggressor status, a 57% was aggressor in the three times. Regarding the links between victimization and emotional problems, this relationship was reciprocal with respect to depression: victimization predicted depression at T2 and T3 and depression predicted victimization in both times, as well. The links between victimization and anxiety was non-significant. Reciprocal links between depression and anxiety were found. Findings suggested reciprocal links between bullying and aggression. Links between bullying and antisocial behavioral were non-significant. These results suggested stability in victim status and aggressor status, but also change in only a period of six month. Besides, results showed that the link between victimization and depression was reciprocal: depression was an antecedent but a consequence of victimization, as well; the same happened for bullying and aggression. So, these results are in line with a vast literature suggesting reciprocal effects.