Work

Developmental Pathways of Victimization From High School to Early Adulthood: The Role of Characterological Self-Blame and School Racial/Ethnic Context

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: PURPOSE: Although the long-term continuity of victimization is well-documented, the mechanisms that link adolescent peer victimization to later relational harassment in other life domains (e.g., romantic relationships, workplace), and the contextual moderators that reduce the negative effects of victimization, remain unclear. The present study examined the associations between trajectories of perceived peer victimization, characterological self-blame (CSB), and internalizing problems across high school and whether these processes predict romantic relationship and workplace harassment in early adulthood. The mediating effect of CSB and the moderating effect of numerical racial/ethnic majority/minority status in high school were tested. METHODS: = 15.2 at T1; 54% female; 53% Latinx, 17% White, 15% Black/African American, and 15% Asian). RESULTS: Multivariate latent growth curve models revealed that trajectories of perceived victimization, CSB, and internalizing symptoms were interrelated over the course of high school and that changes in CSB mediated the association between victimization and internalizing symptoms. These processes predicted increased experiences of romantic relationship and workplace harassment after high school. Numerical majority status was a risk factor for greater CSB and subsequent negative mental health and later harassment outcomes. DISCUSSION: CSB emerged as a key mechanism linking persistent peer victimization to internalizing symptoms across high school, particularly among adolescents in the numerical racial/ethnic majority. This cycle of maladaptive attributions and internalizing symptoms predicted increased risk for romantic relationship and workplace harassment in early adulthood.

Source: Journal of Adolescent Health

DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2025.09.019

Authors: Kara Kogachi, Carlisa Simon, Sandra Graham

Institutions: California State University, Dominguez Hills, Kennesaw State University, University of California, Los Angeles

Language: English

Topic: Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,670