Factors that Influence Children’s Responses to Peer Victimization

Children’s responses to peer victimization are associated with whether the victimization continues, and its impact on adjustment. Yet little longitudinal research has examined the factors influencing children’s responses to peer victimization. In a sample of 140 late elementary school children (n = 140, Mean age = 10 years, 2 months, 55% female, 60% Caucasian), the role of social, emotional, and cognitive factors on children’s responses to peer victimization over time were examined. Broadly, children’s emotional reactivity and peer victimization experiences predicted changes in the ways participants thought about peer victimization over time, and children’s sense of control, attitudes toward the use of aggression, and problem solving predicted changes in participants’ coping responses over the course of the school year.