Longitudinal relations between targeted peer victimization and depression

Abstract

The study presented in this thesis was designed to determine the longitudinal relations between targeted peer victimization and depression among US children. Several aspects and characteristics of peer victimization, and how it relates to depression were described. As part of the thesis work, a sample of 887 students from 3rd grade to 7th grade from two rural/suburban elementary schools and one middle school in central Tennessee was given self-report measures on Targeted Peer Victimization (TPV) and depression at two time points, Spring 2008 and Spring 2009. By using Structural Equation Modeling, we found that (1) TPV and depression were significant stable across one-year interval; (2) boys and girls showed significantly different levels of all of the constructs at both waves; (3) self-reported depressive symptoms predicted both relational and physical TPV but that neither type of TPV predicted depression.