Victimization Within Mutually Antipathetic Peer Relationships

Abstract

Children's victimization experiences within relationships characterized by mutual animosity were examined among 210 6th-and 7th-grade boys and girls. Participants reported that a greater proportion of mutual antipathies, relative to other peers, victimized them. Moreover, the receipt of victimization within antipathetic relationships was greater when the partner in the relationship was aggressive, physically strong, non-victimized and had low levels of internalizing problems. Perceptions of victimization and levels of maladjustment were also found to be more strongly associated with victimization from mutual antipathies than with victimization from other peers. Together, these findings highlight the importance of studying victimization in the context of antipathetic relationships and contribute to an emerging literature on the developmental significance of these relationships.

Forgiveness and its determinants depending on the interpersonal context of hurt

“…There is accumulating evidence showing that aggressive behavior is highly relationship specific, more commonly occurring in dyads characterized by unilateral or mutual dislike than in positive relationships such as friendships (Card & Hodges, 2007;Peets, Hodges, & Salmivalli, 2008). However, this does not mean that positively laden relationships are conflict free (e.g., Hartup, French, Laursen, Johnston, & Ogawa, 1993;Hartup, Laursen, Stewart, & Eastenson, 1988) or that aggressive (or bullying) behavior is never evidenced within friendships (Grotpeter & Crick, 1996;Mishna, Wiener, & Pepler, 2008).…”

Male and Female Victims of Male Bullies: Social Status Differences by Gender and Informant Source

“…Hodges et al (1997) found that the number of friends a child held correlated negatively with victimization, and that adjustment problems onset by victimization diminished as friends increased. The social experience for victimized children may also involve negative interactions such as antipathies or enmities, or children who mutually reject each other (Hartup 2003;; however, less is known regarding possible associations between antipathetic interactions and victimization (Card and Hodges 2007).…”

Bullying of children and adolescents with autism spectrum conditions: a ‘state of the field’ review

“…Victims of bullying often exhibit difficulties in social understanding (Garner and Stowe Hinton 2010), occupy low social status (Card and Hodges 2007), and are perceived as 'different' or deviating from peer group norms (Horowitz et al 2004). The social experience of children with ASC reads remarkably similarly.…”