Rejection Sensitivity and Social Support as Predictors of Peer Victimization among Youth with Psychiatric Illness
Year: 2020
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: In this study, I examined whether rejection sensitivity and perceptions of social support predicted concurrent peer victimization in a sample of adolescents with psychiatric illness. Participants included 43 adolescents, aged 12-18 with diverse psychiatric diagnoses, who were recruited from a summer residential treatment program. Participants completed measures of peer victimization, perceptions of social support, and rejection sensitivity. Participants also completed the global victimization item in the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire, which allowed for comparison of rates of peer victimization across studies (Solberg & Olweus, 2003). Results replicate and extend previous research that indicates adolescents with psychiatric illness experience high rates of peer victimization (Cook, William, Guerra, & Kim, 2009; Hunt, Peters, & Rapee, 2012; Kärnä et al., 2011). Additionally, adolescents high in rejection sensitivity reported lower rates of peer victimization, and adolescents who perceive greater social support from parents, peers, and mentors evidenced lower peer victimization. Results do not support evidence of an interaction between perceptions of social support and rejection sensitivity. Taken together, the unique peer victimization experiences for youth with psychiatric illness have specific implications for researchers and practitioners.
Author: Katherine Hyde Brott
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3088629305