title: A prospective longitudinal study of children's theory of mind and adolescent involvement in bullying.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Theory of mind (ToM) allows the understanding and prediction of other people's behaviours based on their mental states (e.g. beliefs). It is important for healthy social relationships and thus may contribute towards children's involvement in bullying. The present study investigated whether children involved in bullying during early adolescence had poor ToM in childhood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were members of the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally representative sample of 2,232 children and their families. We visited families when children were 5, 7, 10 and 12 years. ToM was assessed when the children were 5 years using eight standardized tasks. Identification of those children who were involved in bullying as victims, bullies and bully-victims using mothers', teachers' and children's reports was carried out when they were 12 years' old.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Poor ToM predicted becoming a victim (effect size, d = 0.26), bully (d = 0.25) or bully-victim (d = 0.44) in early adolescence. These associations remained for victims and bully-victims when child-specific (e.g. IQ) and family factors (e.g. child maltreatment) were controlled for. Emotional and behavioural problems during middle childhood did not modify the association between poor ToM and adolescent bullying experiences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Identifying and supporting children with poor ToM early in life could help reduce their vulnerability for involvement in bullying and thus limit its adverse effects on mental health.
authors.affiliation: MRC Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Sania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shakoor
authors.forename: Sara R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Jaffee
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bowes
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ouellet-Morin
authors.forename: Penelope
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Andreou
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Happé
authors.forename: Terrie E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Moffitt
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arseneault
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D041923:Adolescent Development; D000367:Age Factors; D058445:Bullying / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D056345:Theory of Mind; D014427:Twins / Q000523:psychology; D006113:United Kingdom
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