Parental sensitivity predicts parent–adolescent agreement about peer victimization.

Abstract

Effective parental responses to peer victimization may hinge on parental awareness of youths’ peer victimization experiences, yet predictors of parental awareness are understudied. We investigated the extent of parent–adolescent agreement about early adolescents’ peer victimization experiences as well as predictors of parent–adolescent agreement. Participants included a diverse community sample of early adolescents (N = 80; Mage = 12.36 years, SD = 1.33; 55% Black, 42.5% White, 2.5% other race/ethnicity) and their parents. Observer-rated parental sensitivity and adolescent-reported parental warmth were examined as predictors of parent–adolescent agreement about peer victimization. Following contemporary analytic procedures for examining informant agreement and discrepancies, polynomial regression analyses revealed that parental sensitivity moderated the association between parent and early adolescent reports of peer victimization, such that the association between parent and early adolescent reports of peer victimization was stronger at higher levels of parental sensitivity than lower levels of parental sensitivity. These results provide insight into how to enhance parental awareness of peer victimization.

“But There’s Only So Much You Can Do…” Parent Support-Giving within the Context of Peer Victimization

“…This was evident in participants’ responses in this study. Moreover, parents in the study reported a high degree of sensitivity in detection of behavioral and emotional cues about problematic peer experiences that were not explicitly expressed by their child (see also VanDenBerg et al, under review). This prompted increased communication and facilitated disclosure by the early adolescent.…”