Are there negative cycles of peer victimization and rejection sensitivity? Testing ri-CLPMs in two longitudinal samples of young adolescents

Abstract

This study’s aim was to examine whether there are negative increasing cycles of peer victimization and rejection sensitivity over time. Drawing from Social Information Processing Theory, we hypothesized that victimization leads to higher levels of rejection sensitivity, which would put adolescents at risk for higher future victimization. Data were collected in a four-wave study with 233 Dutch adolescents starting secondary education (Mage = 12.7 years), and a three-wave study with 711 Australian adolescents in the last years of primary school (Mage = 10.8 years). Random-intercept cross-lagged panel models were used to disentangle between-person from within-person effects. In each sample, a significant between-person association was found: adolescents with higher levels of victimization as compared to their peers also reported higher levels of rejection sensitivity. At the within-person level, all concurrent associations between individual fluctuations of victimization and rejection sensitivity were significant, but there were no significant cross-lagged effects (except in some sensitivity analyses). These findings demonstrate that victimization and rejection sensitivity are interrelated, but there may not be negative victimization-rejection sensitivity cycles during the early-middle adolescent years. Possibly, cycles establish earlier in life or results are due to shared underlying factors. Further research is needed examining different time lags between assessments, age groups, and contexts.

Unraveling the Nexus: Emotional Abuse, Emotional Competence, Self-concept, and Academic Achievement Among Adolescents.

“…It demonstrates that boys are more susceptible to emotional abuse then girls. The finding of the present research work is consistent with earlier studies, which reveals that males reported higher levels of rejection sensitivity than females at age 16 and 17 (Kellij et al, 2023;Webb et al, 2014). Another study on Gendered Socialization suggests that adolescent males have a more challenging time transitioning to more emotionally complex, heterosocial friendships and romantic relationships than females (Homroy, 2023).…”

Ik zie, ik zie wat jij niet ziet

“…Bij de mri-taak verscheen telkens een gezicht met emotionele uitdrukking en moest het geslacht van het gezicht beoordeeld worden (van Harmelen et al, 2013). In deze studie (Kellij et al, 2023b) werd geen bewijs gevonden dat slachtofferschap (langdurig of recent) samenhing met een andere verwerking van andermans emoties. Niet in de hersenen, maar ook niet in automatische aandacht.…”

“…Er was een positieve samenhang tussen slachtofferschap en gevoeligheid voor afwijzing. Desondanks resulteerde een verandering in slachtofferschap niet in een verandering in gevoeligheid voor afwijzing, noch andersom (Kellij et al, 2023a).…”