The goals of the current study were to investigate whether peer rejection mediated
the relation between aggression and depressive symptoms in childhood, and if so,
whether this mediational pathway was specific to the reactive subtype of aggression.
Participants were 57 second-grade children (22 girls and 35 boys). Data on reactive
aggression, proactive aggression, depressive symptoms, and peer rejection were
collected from four sources (parents, teachers, peers, and self). Results revealed
that reactive aggression, but not proactive aggression, was positively related to
depressive symptoms. Furthermore, peer rejection partially mediated the relation
between reactive aggression and depressive symptoms.
Angold, A.
, &
Costello, E.J.
(1993).
Depressive comorbidity in children and adolescents: Empirical, theoretical,
and methodological issues
.American Journal of Psychiatry, 150,
1779–1791
.
2.
Baron, R.M.
, &
Kenny, D.A.
(1986).
The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological
research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations
.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51,
1173–1182
.
3.
Boivin, M.
, &
Hymel, S.
(1997).
Peer experiences and social self-perceptions: A sequential model
.Developmental Psychology, 33,
135–145
.
4.
Boivin, M.
,
Hymel, S.
, &
Bukowski, W.M.
(1995).
The roles of social withdrawal, peer rejection, and victimization by peers
in predicting loneliness and depressed mood in childhood
.Development and Psychopathology, 7,
765–785
.
5.
Brown, K.
,
Atkins, M.S.
,
Osborne, M.L.
, &
Milnamow, M.
(1996).
A revised teacher rating scale for reactive and proactive aggression
.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 24,
473–480
.
6.
Camodeca, M.
,
Goossens, F.A.
,
Meerum Terwogt, M.
, &
Schuengel, C.
(2002).
Bullying and victimization among school-age children: Stability and links
to proactive and reactive aggression
.Social Development, 11,
332–345
.
7.
Carey, M.P.
,
Faulstich, M.E.
,
Gresham, F.M.
,
Ruggiero, L.
, &
Enyart, P.
(1987).
Children's Depression Inventory: Construct and discriminant
validity across clinical and nonreferred (control) populations
.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55,
755–761
.
8.
Coie, J.D.
, &
Dodge, K.A.
(1983).
Continuities and changes in children's social status: A five-year
longitudinal study
.Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 29,
261–282
.
9.
Coie, J.D.
,
Dodge, K.A.
, &
Coppotelli, H.
(1982).
Dimensions and types of social status: A cross-age perspective
.Developmental Psychology, 18,
557–570
.
10.
Coie, J.D.
,
Dodge, K.A.
, &
Kupersmidt, J.B.
(1990). Peer group behavior and social status. In
S.R. Asher
&
J.D. Coie
(Eds.), Peer rejection in childhood(pp.
17–59).
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
.
11.
Coie, J.D.
,
Dodge, K.A.
,
Terry, R.
, &
Wright, V.
(1991).
The role of aggression in peer relations: An analysis of aggression
episodes in boys' play groups
.Child Development, 62,
812–826
.
12.
Cole, D.A.
,
Martin, J.M.
, &
Powers, B.
(1997).
A competency-based model of child depression: A longitudinal study of peer,
parent, teacher, and self-evaluations
.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied
Disciplines, 38,
505–514
.
13.
Cole, D.A.
,
Martin, J.M.
,
Powers, B.
, &
Truglio, R.
(1996).
Modeling causal relations between academic and social competence and
depression: A multitrait-multimethod longitudinal study of children
.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 105,
258–270
.
14.
Patterson, G.R.
, &
Stoolmiller, M.
(1991).
Replications of a dual-failure model for boys' depressed mood
.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59,
491–498
.
15.
Pellegrini, A.D.
,
Bartini, M.
, &
Brooks, F.
(1999).
School bullies, victims, and aggressive victims: Factors relating to group
affiliation and victimization in early adolescence
.Journal of Educational Psychology, 91,
216–224
.
16.
Perry, D.G.
,
Perry, L.C.
, &
Rasmussen, P.
(1986).
Cognitive social learning mediators of aggression
.Child Development, 57,
700–711
.
17.
Peterson, L.
,
Mullins, L.L.
, &
Ridley-Johnson, R.
(1985).
Childhood depression: Peer reactions to depression and life stress
.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 13,
597–609
.
18.
Poulin, F.
, &
Boivin, M.
(2000).
Reactive and proactive aggression: Evidence of a two-factor model
.Psychological Assessment, 12,
115–122
.
19.
Price, J.M.
, &
Dodge, K.A.
(1989).
Reactive and proactive aggression in childhood: Relations to peer status
and social context dimensions
.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 17,
455–471
.
20.
Reynolds, C.R.
, &
Kamphaus, R.W.
(1992). Behavior Assessment System for Children:
Manual.
Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service, Inc.
21.
Rhode, P.
,
Lewinsohn, P.M.
, &
Seeley, J.R.
(1991).
Comorbidity of unipolar depression: II. Comorbidity with other mental
disorders in adolescents and adults
.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100,
214–222
.
22.
Schaeffer, C.M.
,
Petras, H.
,
Ialongo, N.
,
Poduska, J.
, &
Kellam, S.
(2003).
Modeling growth in boys' aggressive behavior across elementary
school: Links to later criminal involvement, conduct disorder, and
antisocial personality disorder
.Developmental Psychology, 39,
1020–1035
.
23.
Smucker, M.R.
,
Craighead, W.E.
,
Craighead, L.W.
, &
Green, B.J.
(1986).
Normative and reliability data for the Children's Depression Inventory
. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 14,
25–39
.
24.
Stanger, C.
,
Achenbach, T.M.
, &
Verlhurst, F.C.
(1997).
Accelerated longitudinal comparisons of aggressive versus delinquent syndromes
.Development and Psychopathology, 9,
43–58
.
25.
Vitaro, F.
, &
Brendgen, M.
(in press). Proactive and reactive aggression: A developmental
perspective. In
R.E. Tremblay
,
W.M. Hartup
, &
J. Archer
(Eds.), Developmental origins of aggression.
26.
Vitaro, F.
,
Brendgen, M.
, &
Tremblay, R.E.
(2002).
Reactively and proactively aggressive children: Antecedent and subsequent characteristics
.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied
Disciplines, 43,
495–506
.
27.
Cole, D.A.
,
Peeke, L.G.
,
Martin, J.M.
,
Truglio, R.
, &
Seroczynski, A.D.
(1998).
A longitudinal look at the relation between depression and anxiety in
children and adolescents
.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66,
451–460
.
Cronbach, L.J.
(1951).
Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests
. Psychometrika, 16,
297–334
.
30.
Day, D.M.
,
Bream, L.A.
, &
Pal, A.
(1992).
Proactive and reactive aggression: An analysis of subtypes based on teacher perceptions
.Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 21,
210–217
.
31.
Dodge, K.A.
(1980).
Social cognition and children's aggressive behavior
.Child Development, 51,
162–170
.
32.
Dodge, K.A.
(1983).
Behavioral antecedents of peer social status
.Child Development, 54,
1386–1399
.
33.
Dodge, K.A.
(1991). The structure and function of reactive and
proactive aggression. In
D.J. Pepler
&
K.H. Rubin
(Eds.), The development and treatment of childhood aggression (pp.
201–218).
Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum
.
34.
Dodge, K.A.
, &
Coie, J.D.
(1987).
Social-information-processing factors in reactive and proactive aggression
in children's peer groups
.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53,
1146–1158
.
35.
Dodge, K.A.
,
Coie, J.D.
,
Pettit, G.S.
, &
Price, J.M.
(1990).
Peer status and aggression in boys' groups: Developmental and
contextual analyses
.Child Development, 61,
1289–1309
.
36.
Dodge, K.A.
,
Lochman, J.E.
,
Harnish, J.
,
Bates, J.
, &
Pettit, G.
(1997).
Reactive and proactive aggression in school children and psychiatrically
impaired chronically assaultive youth
.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 106,
37–51
.
37.
Harter, S.
(1982).
The Perceived Competence Scale for Children
.Child Development, 53,
87–97
.
38.
Harter, S.
(1985). Self-Perception Profile for Children.
Denver, CO: University of Denver
.
39.
Holmbeck, G.N.
(1997). Toward terminological, conceptual, and statistical
clarity in the study of mediators and moderators: Examples from the
childclinical and pediatric psychology literatures. In
A.E. Kazdin
(Ed.), Methodological issues and strategies in clinical research
(3rd edn, pp. 77–106).
Washington, DC: American Psychological Association
.
40.
Hops, H.
,
Lewinsohn, P.M.
,
Andrews, J.A.
, &
Roberts, R.E.
(1990).
Psychosocial correlates of depressive symptomatology among high school students
. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 19,
211–202
.
41.
Kiesner, J.
(2002).
Depressive symptoms in early adolescence: Their relation with classroom
behavior and peer status
.Journal of Research on Adolescence, 12,
463–478
.
42.
Kovacs, M.
(1981).
Rating scales to assess depression in school-age children
. Acta Paedpsychiatrica, International Journal of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry, 46,
305–315
.
43.
Little, S.A.
, &
Garber, J.
(1995).
Aggression, depression, and stressful life events predicting peer rejection
in children
.Development & Psychopathology, 7,
845–856
.
44.
Marcus, R.F.
, &
Kramer, C.
(2001).
Reactive and proactive aggression: Attachment and social competence predictors
.Journal of Genetic Psychology, 162,
260–275
.
45.
Mattison, R.E.
,
Hanford, H.A.
,
Kales, H.C.
,
Goodman, A.L.
, &
McLaughlin, R.E.
(1990).
Four-year predictive value of the Children's Depression Inventory
.Psychological Assessment, 2,
169–174
.
46.
McConaughy, S.H.
, &
Skiba, R.J.
(1993).
Comorbidity of externalizing and internalizing problems
.School Psychology Review, 22,
421–436
.
47.
Messer, S.
, &
Gross, A.M.
(1994).
Childhood depression and aggression: A covariance structure analysis
.Behaviour Research & Therapy, 32,
663–677
.
48.
Nangle, D.
,
Erdley, C.A.
,
Newman, J.E.
,
Mason, C.A.
, &
Carpenter, E.M.
(2003).
Popularity, friendship quantity, and friendship quality: Interactive
influences on children's loneliness and depression
.Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology,
32,
546–555
.
49.
Neary, A.
, &
Joseph, S.
(1994).
Peer victimization and its relationship to selfconcept and depression among school-girls
.Personality and Individual Differences, 16,
183–186
.
50.
Nolan, S.A.
,
Flynn, C.
, &
Garber, J.
(2003).
Prospective relations between rejection and depression in young adolescents
.Journal of Personality & Social Psychology,
85,
745–755
.
51.
Panak, W.F.
, &
Garber, J.
(1992).
Role of aggression, rejection, and attributions in the prediction of
depression in children
.Development and Psychopathology, 4,
145–165
.
52.
Parker, J.G.
, &
Asher, S.R.
(1993).
Friendship and friendship quality in middle childhood: Links with peer
group acceptance and feelings of loneliness and social dissatisfaction
.Developmental Psychology, 29,
611–621
.
53.
Patterson, G.R.
, &
Capaldi, D.M.
(1990). A mediational model for boys' depressed
mood. In
J.E. Rolf
,
A.S. Masten
,
D. Cicchetti
,
K.H. Nuechterlein
, &
S. Weintraub
(Eds.), Risk and protective factors in the development of
psychopathology (pp. 141–163).
New York: Cambridge University Press
.
