The increasing use of cyberspace as a social networking forum creates a new medium for youth to become victims of peer aggression. This study used factor analysis techniques to conÞrm whether survey questions about frequency of cyber victimization formed a distinct latent construct from questions about relational and overt victimization information in a large (N = 1, 665) sample of middle school students. A secondary goal was to relate experiences of cyber victimization to symptoms of depression and social anxiety. Results indicate that cyber victimization is separate latent factor from overt and relational victimization. Experiences of cyber victimization were weakly associated with symptoms of social anxiety, but not depression. These results signify that cyber victimization deserves future empirical and clinical attention. C 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
This study investigated the phenomenology and clinical correlates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in youth with ASD (N=102; range=7–16 years). The presence of suicidal thoughts and behavior was assessed through the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule-Child and Parent Versions. Children and parents completed measures of anxiety severity, functional impairment, and behavioral and emotional problems. Approximately 11% of youth displayed suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Children with autism were more likely to have suicidal thoughts and behaviors whereas children with Asperger’s disorder were less likely. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors were associated with the presence of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Overall, results suggest that suicidal thoughts and behaviors are common in youth with ASD, and may be related to depression and trauma.
This study extends prior work on students' willingness to report threats of violence to college-aged populations. Method: Undergraduate students (N ϭ 967) were sampled from a large university in the Southern U.S. Results: Almost seventy percent (69%) of students endorsed being "at least somewhat willing" to report a threatening peer. Trust in the college support system (e.g., trust in police, administrators) was positively related to students' willingness to report threats of violence. Similarly, feeling connected to the campus environment was positively related to willingness to report threats directly and indirectly through trust in the college support system. In contrast, delinquency was negatively related to willingness to report and self-efficacy toward service (i.e., the belief that one can have a positive impact) only was positively related to reporting in the presence of trust in the college support system and campus connectedness. Lastly, fear of negative evaluation was unrelated to students' willingness to report. Conclusion: To facilitate threat reporting, it is important for students to feel connected to the campus community and trust in members of the college support system as self-efficacy toward service is not sufficient by itself.
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