The Role of Pubertal Timing in the Development of Peer Victimization and Offending From Early- to Mid-Adolescence

Abstract

We used latent growth curve analysis to extend research on associations between early puberty and adverse peer relations by examining the role of pubertal timing in the developmental trajectories of peer victimization and offending from early- to mid-adolescence. We made use of three-wave longitudinal data collected annually from a cohort of Swedish adolescents ( N = 1,515, 51% girls, [Formula: see text]age at T1 = 13.0 years). The results revealed negative developmental trends for peer victimization and offending. Early pubertal timing was linked to higher initial levels and a steeper decrease of peer victimization and offending. The only effect of pubertal timing that differed between the genders was that the initial level of offending was stronger for boys than girls. In conclusion, the negative impact of early pubertal timing on peer victimization and offending occurs in the early stages of adolescence and disappears thereafter.

Bidirectional relationship between parental psychological control and adolescent maladjustment

“…Consequently, early adolescents could be more susceptible when parents use psychological control manners because they are adapting to adolescence and are going through physical, intellectual, and social developmental changes (Finkenauer et al, 2002). These unfamiliar changes place cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally immature early adolescents at increased risk of psychosocial and behavioral difficulties (Skoog & Kapetanovic, 2021). It is hence crucial to investigate early adolescent maladjustment and its bidirectional relationship with parental psychological control.…”

“…The following two reasons can explain this connection. First, peer relation becomes markedly important for adolescents in early adolescence, and adverse peer relations peak in this period (Skoog & Kapetanovic, 2021). Accordingly, parents could become particularly sensitive to adolescent deviant peer associations and then respond with psychological control strategies.…”

Are victims of bullying primarily social outcasts? Person‐group dissimilarities in relational, socio‐behavioral, and physical characteristics as predictors of victimization

“…As such, adolescents who deviate from their classmates in the onset of puberty, either earlier or later, likely stand out from what is normative (Petersen et al, 1988), and they may be at increased risk for being victimized as a result. Research provides some tentative support for this by indicating that adolescents who experience an early onset of puberty compared to the norm are more likely to be victimized by peers (Haynie & Piquero, 2006; Skoog & Kapetanovic, 2021; Troop‐Gordon, 2017). Conversely, in a group in which peers exhibit more advanced pubertal maturation, those who do not yet show the visible signs of puberty (e.g., no pubic hair, no voice changes, or for girls no breast development) or who do not yet indicate interests in sex(uality) that are triggered by puberty might be considered to be childish and uncool.…”

“…Consequently, measures and group norms are also sex‐specific, and “fitting in” is determined by similarity only to same‐gender peers. Still, within each sex group, the effects of person‐group dissimilarity are expected to occur in a like manner (Skoog & Kapetanovic, 2021). In sum, we hypothesized that more dissimilarity in individual boys’ and girls’ pubertal development (H3) to the descriptive classroom norm for pubertal development—regardless of whether this would be in terms of being less or more advanced—would predict more individual victimization.…”

Do I Look Gawky? The Association between Pubertal Asynchrony and Peer Victimization

“…Indeed, research on adolescent peer relationships acknowledges that puberty, which signifies sexual maturation to the outer world, provides new motivations and reasons to embarrass and harass one another [9,10]. Early puberty is identified as a risk for peer victimization [11,12], especially sexual and social harassment [9,[13][14][15] in early adolescence [16], but the evidence is somewhat mixed for boys with some studies identifying late maturers at heightened risk of becoming victims of peer harassment [17]. To date, there are no studies on how pubertal asynchrony affects peer victimization.…”