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. 2010 Aug;41(4):371-86.
doi: 10.1007/s10578-010-0174-5.

Peer-victimization and mental health problems in adolescents: are parental and school support protective?

Christina Stadler  1 , Julia Feifel, Sonja Rohrmann, Robert Vermeiren, Fritz Poustka
Affiliations

Peer-victimization and mental health problems in adolescents: are parental and school support protective?

Christina Stadler et al. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2010 Aug.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and effects of peer-victimization on mental health problems among adolescents. Parental and school support were assumed as protective factors that might interact with one another in acting as buffers for adolescents against the risk of peer-victimization. Besides these protective factors, age and gender were additionally considered as moderating factors. The Social and Health Assessment survey was conducted among 986 students aged 11-18 years in order to assess peer-victimization, risk and protective factors and mental health problems. For mental health problems, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used. Effects of peer-victimization on mental health problems were additionally compared with normative SDQ data in order to obtain information about clinically relevant psychopathology in our study sample. Results of this study show that peer-victimization carries a serious risk for mental health problems in adolescents. School support is effective in both male and female adolescents by acting as a buffer against the effect of victimization, and school support gains increasing importance in more senior students. Parental support seems to be protective against maladjustment, especially in peer-victimized girls entering secondary school. Since the effect of peer-victimization can be reduced by parental and school support, educational interventions are of great importance in cases of peer-victimization.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Level of mental health problems (SDQ total score) in victimized and nonvictimized middle-school students and senior students with high school support (N = 76) and low school support (N = 115)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Level of mental health problems (SDQ total score) in non-victimized middle-school students and senior students with high school support (N = 425) and low school support (N = 358)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Level of mental health problems (SDQ total score) in peer-victimized male middle-school students and female middle-school students with high parent support (N = 53) and low parent support (N = 48)
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Level of mental health problems (SDQ total score) in peer-victimized male senior students and female senior students with high parent support (N = 30) and low parent support (N = 62)
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Level of mental health problems (SDQ total score) in non-victimized male middle-school students and female middle-school students with high parent support (N = 211) and low parent support (N = 142)
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Level of mental health problems (SDQ total score) in non-victimized male senior students and female senior students with high parent support (N = 194) and low parent support (N = 236)
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