Victimization by peers: associations with children's reports of mother-child interaction.
Children who are chronically victimized by peers are at risk for personal difficulties. This study examined whether victimization is associated with mother-child interaction at home. Preadolescents (N = 184; mean age = 11.7 years) reported on their mother's child-rearing practices and on how they cope during conflicts with their mother. Peers reported on victimization at school. Sex-specific links between perceived family interaction and peer victimization were found. For boys, victimization was associated with perceived maternal overprotectiveness, especially when boys reported reacting with fear during mother-child conflict. For girls, victimization was associated with perceived maternal rejection and with girls' reports of aggressive coping during mother-child conflict. Results support the theory that parenting that hinders children's development of gender-salient competencies (autonomy for boys and communion for girls) places children at risk for peer victimization.
Finnegan
R A
RA
Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton 33431, USA.
Hodges
E V
EV
Perry
D G
DG
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D004291:Dominance-Subordination; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010379:Peer Group; D010553:Personality Development