title: Predictors of peer victimization among Peruvian adolescents in the young lives cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bully-victimization is a widespread public health issue with significant negative effects on both social function and psychological well-being. Existing research in Peru shows high prevalence of bullying. However, researchers have yet to fully understand the phenomenon of victimization in developing regions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to characterize victimization patterns over time, along with the predictors of victimization from a cohort of Peruvian adolescents enrolled in the young lives (YL) study.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study examined data from YL, a longitudinal study of poverty, health, and development, which examined data from the older cohort of children in Peru across three rounds (ages 8, 12, and 15 years). The sample consisted of 714 children from 74 communities that represent 20 districts in Peru.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for urban/rural setting, there remained a significantly lower wealth index for children who were bullied at ages 8 and 12 years. Exploratory analysis showed that although those in the lowest quartile of body mass index (BMI) were significantly more likely to be bullied at age 8 years, this association waned over time. A worse caregiver assessment of child's health compared with others was associated with a significantly greater risk of bully-victimization. At age 8 years, caregiver education was significantly lower among those bullied compared with those who were not bullied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed several factors as the predictors of victimization in the early years, including being male and having low BMI, low socioeconomic status, and low parental/caregiver education. Further longitudinal studies should be conducted to determine the extent to which these predictors vary in significance over time.
authors.forename: Cameron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lister
authors.forename: Ray M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Merrill
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vance
authors.forename: Joshua H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: P Cougar
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Benjamin T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Crookston
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D017677:Age Distribution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D058445:Bullying / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D010568:Peru; D011203:Poverty; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population