Norm-breaking behavior, physical disorders, and depressive symptoms of students - What role does social support play?

A one-year longitudinal study explored the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between norm-violating behavior, somatic complaints, and depression, considering the influence of parent and peer support. 326 students aged between 10 and 15 years participated in three assessments. Because of the lack of research concerning norm-violating behavior by girls, analyses were conducted for males and females seperately. Epidemiological research shows that aggressive behavior often co occurs with internalizing symptoms, whereas rejection by peers is discussed as a potential mediator (Kusch & Petermann, 1997). If aggressive behavior occurs chronologically before the development of internalizing symptoms, preventive measures could be taken at an early stage of the development of internalizing symptoms.