title: The best friend and friendship group influence on adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury.
abstract: This study examined associations of peer socialization and selection, over time, with nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among 5,787 (54.2 % females) Chinese community adolescents. Both effects were tested using two aspects of adolescents' friendship networks: the best friend and the friendship group. Participants completed questionnaires assessing NSSI, depressive symptoms and maladaptive impulsive behaviors at two waves of time over a 6-month period. Results showed that even after controlling for the effects of depressive symptoms and maladaptive impulsive behaviors, the best friends' engagement in NSSI still significantly predicted adolescents' own engagement in NSSI. Adolescents' friendship groups' NSSI status also significantly predicted their own NSSI status and frequency. Additionally, adolescents with NSSI tended to join peer groups with other members also engaging in NSSI.
authors.affiliation: Center for Studies of Psychological Application & School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China. youjianing@gmail.com
authors.forename: Jianing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Min Pei
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Freedom
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Leung
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology*; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010379:Peer Group; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012933:Social Identification; D012951:Socialization