Utilizing a cross-sectional design, the authors examined associations between pubertal status, peer victimization, and their interaction in relation to weight concerns and symptoms of depression in a sample of early adolescent girls (N = 261). Multivariate analyses revealed a significant interaction between pubertal status and relational victimization in relation to both weight concerns and depression symptoms. More physically mature girls reported the greatest weight concerns and depression symptoms when experiencing high rates of relational victimization in comparison to their less physically mature peers who reported the same rates of relational victimization. This study considers the importance of interactive effects of peer victimization and pubertal status during the early adolescent period.
Angold, A., Costello, E.J., & Worthman, C.M. (1998). Puberty and depression: The role of age, pubertal status, and pubertal timing. Psychological Medicine, 28, 51-61.
2.
Brooks-Gunn, J., & Warren, M.P. (1989). Biological and social contributions to negative affect in young adolescent girls. Child Development, 60, 40-55.
3.
Cauffman, E., & Steinberg, L. (1996). Interactive effects of menarcheal status and dating on dieting and disordered eating among adolescent girls. Developmental Psychology, 32(4), 631-635.
4.
Compian, L.J., Gowen, L.K., & Hayward, C. (2004). Peripubertal girls' romantic and platonic involvement with boys: Associations with body image and depression symptoms. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 14(1), 23-47.
5.
Craig, W.M., Pepler, D., Connolly, J., & Henderson, K. (2001). Developmental context of peer harassment in early adolescence: The role of puberty and the peer group. In J. Juvonen and S. Graham (Eds.), Peer harassment in school: The plight of the vulnerable and victimized (pp. 242-262). New York: Guilford .
6.
Craighead, W.E., Currey, J.F., & Illardi, S.S. (1995). Relationship of children's depression inventory factors to major depression among adolescents. Psychological Assessment, 7(2), 171-176.
7.
Crick, N.R., & Bigbee, M.A. (1998). Relational and overt forms of peer victimization: A multi-informant approach. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 337-347.
8.
Crick, N.R., & Grotpeter, J.K. (1996). Children's treatment by peers: Victims of relational and overt aggression. Development and Psychopathology, 8(2), 367-380.
9.
Damon, W., & Hart, D. (1988). Self-understanding in childhood and adolescence . New York: Cambridge University Press.
10.
Duke, P.M., Litt, I.F., & Gross, R.T. (1980). Adolescents' self-assessment of sexual maturation . Pediatrics, 66(6), 918-920.
11.
Eisenberg, M.E., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Haines, J., & Wall, M. (2006). Weight-teasing and emotional well-being in adolescents: Longitudinal findings from Project EAT. Journal of Adolescent Health, 38, 675-683.
12.
Eisenberg, M.E., Neumark-Sztainer, D., & Paxton, S.J. (2006). Five-year change in body satisfaction among adolescents . Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 61(4), 521-527.
13.
Ewell, F., Smith, S., Karmel, M.P., & Hart, D. (1996). The sense of self and its development: A framework for understanding eating disorders. In L. Smolak, M. P. Levine, & R. Striegel-Moore (Eds.), The developmental psychopathology of eating disorders (pp. 107-134). Mahwah, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum.
14.
Fabian, L.J., & Thompson, J.K. (1989). Body image and eating disturbance in young females. International Journal of Eating Disorders , 8(1), 63-74.
15.
Ge, X., Conger, R.D., & Elder, G.H., Jr. (1996). Coming of age too early: Pubertal influences on girls' vulnerability to psychological distress. Child Development, 67(6), 3386-3400.
16.
Ge, X., Conger, R.D., & Elder, G.H., Jr. (2001). Pubertal transition, stressful life events, and emergence of gender differences in adolescent depression symptoms. Developmental Psychology, 37, 404-417.
17.
Graber, J.A. (2003). Puberty in context. In C. Hayward (Ed.), Gender differences at puberty (pp. 307-325). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
18.
Hawker, D.S.J., & Boulton, M.J. (2000). Twenty years' research on peer victimization and psychosocial adjustment: A meta-analytic review of cross-sectional studies . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 41(4), 441-455.
19.
Haynie, D.L., & Piquero, A.R. (2006). Pubertal development and physical victimization in adolescence. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency , 43(1), 3-35.
20.
Hayward, C. (2003). Methodological concerns in puberty-related research . In C. Hayward (Ed.), Gender differences at puberty (pp. 1-14). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
21.
Hayward C., Gotlib, I.H., Shraedley, P.K., & Litt, I.F. (1999). Ethnic differences in the association between pubertal status and symptoms of depression in adolescent girls. Journal of Adolescent Health, 25, 143-149.
22.
Hayward, C., Killen, J.D., Wilson, D.M., & Hammer, L.D. (1997). Psychiatric risk associated with early puberty in adolescent girls. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36(2), 255-262.
23.
Hayward, C., & Sanborn, K. (2002). Puberty and the emergence of gender differences in psychopathology. Journal of Adolescent Health, 30, 49-58.
24.
Hill, J.P., & Holmbeck, G.N. (1987). Familial adaptation to biological change during adolescence. In R. Lerner & T. T. Foch (Eds.), Biological-psychosocial interactions in early adolescence (pp. 207-223). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
25.
Holmbeck, G.N., & Hill, J.P. (1991). Conflictive engagement, positive affect, and menarche in families with seventh-grade girls. Child Development, 62(5), 1030-1048.
26.
James, V.H., & Owens, L.D. (2005). "They turned around like I wasn't there": An analysis of teenage girls' letters about their peer conflicts. School Psychology International, 26(1), 71-88.
27.
Kennedy, J.H. (1990). Determinants of peer social status: Contributions of physical appearance, reputation and behavior. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 19(3), 233-244.
28.
Killen, J.D., Taylor, C.B., Hammer, L.D., Litt, I., Wilson, D.M., Rich, T., et al. (1993). An attempt to modify unhealthful eating attitudes and weight regulation practices of young adolescent girls. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 13(4), 369-384.
29.
Killen, J.D., Taylor, C.B., Hayward, C., & Wilson, D.M., Haydel, K.F., Hammer, L.D., et al. (1994). Pursuit of thinness and onset of eating disorder symptoms in a community sample of adolescent girls: A three-year prospective analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders , 16(3), 227-238.
30.
Kovacs, M. (1992). Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) manual. New York: Multi-Health Systems.
31.
Kraemer, H.C., Berkowitz, R.I., & Hammer. L.D. (1990). Methodological difficulties in studies of obesity. I: Measurement issues. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 12, 112-118.
32.
Lindeman, M., Harakka, T., & Keltikangas-Jarvinen, L. (1997). Age and gender differences in adolescents' reaction to conflict situations: Aggression, prosociality, and withdrawal. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 26(3), 339-351.
33.
Lunde, C., Frisen, A., & Hwang, C.P. (2006). Is peer victimization related to body esteem in 10-year-old girls and boys? Body Image, 3(1), 25-33.
34.
Magnusson, D., & Stattin, H. (1998). Person-context interaction theories. In W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Volume 1. Theoretical models of human development (5th ed., pp. 685-759). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley.
35.
McHale, S.M., Corneal, D.A., Crouter, A.C., & Birch, L.L. (2001). Gender and weight concerns in early and middle adolescence: Links with well-being and family characteristics. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 30(3), 338-348.
36.
Michael, A., & Eccles, J.S. (2004). When coming of age means coming undone: Links between puberty and psychosocial adjustment among European-American and African-American girls. In C. Hayward (Ed.), Gender differences at puberty (pp. 277-306). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
37.
Nadeem, E., & Graham, S. (2005). Early puberty, peer victimization, and internalizing symptoms in ethnic minority adolescents. Journal of Early Adolescence, 25(2), 197-222.
38.
Needham, B.L., & Crosnoe, R. (2005). Overweight status and depression symptoms during adolescence. Journal of Adolescent Health, 36(1), 48-55.
39.
Neumark-Sztainer, D., Flakner, N., Story, M., Perry, C., Hannan, P.J., & Mulert, S. (2002). Weight-teasing among adolescents: Correlations with weight status and disordered eating behaviors. International Journal of Obesity, 26(1), 123-131.
40.
Olweus, D. (1991). Victimization among school children. In R. Baenninger (Ed.), Targets of violence and aggression: Advances in psychology (pp. 45-102). Oxford, UK: North Holland.
41.
Paxton, S.J., Eisenberg, M.E., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2006). Prospective predictors of body dissatisfaction in adolescent girls and boys: A five-year longitudinal study. Developmental Psychology, 42(5), 888-899.
42.
Phares, V., Steinberg, A.R., & Thompson, J.K. (2004). Gender differences in peer and parental influences: Body image disturbance, self-worth, and psychological functioning in preadolescent children. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 33(5), 421-429.
43.
Prinstein, M., Boergers, J., & Vernberg, E.M. (2001). Overt and relational aggression in adolescents: Social-psychological adjustment of aggressors and victims . Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 30(4), 479-491.
44.
Romano, E., Tremblay, R.E., Boulerice, B., & Swisher, R. (2005). Multilevel correlates of childhood physical aggression and prosocial behavior. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology , 33(5), 565-578.
45.
Sanborn, K., & Hayward, C. (2003). Hormonal changes at puberty and the emergence of gender differences in internalizing disorders. In C. Hayward (Ed.), Gender differences at puberty (pp. 29-58). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
46.
Saylor, C.F., Finch, A.J., Spirito, A., & Bennet, B. (1984). The children's depression inventory: A systematic evaluation of psychometric properties. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 52(6), 955-967.
47.
Schmitz, K.E., Hovell, M.E., Nichols, J.F., Irvin, V.L., Keating, K., Simon, G.A., et al. (2004). A validation study of early adolescents' pubertal self-assessments. Journal of Early Adolescence, 24(4), 357-384.
48.
Siegel, J.M., Aneshensel, C.S., Taub, B., Cantwell, D.P., & Driscoll, A.K. (1998). Adolescent depressed mood in a multiethnic sample. Journal of Youth and Adolescence , 27(4), 413-427.
49.
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(1), 25-39.
50.
Storch, E.A., Phil, M., Nock, M.K., Masia-Warner, C., & Barlas, M.E. (2003). Peer victimization and social-psychological adjustment in Hispanic and African-American children. Journal of Child and Family Studies12(4), 439-452.
51.
Taylor, C.B., Sharpe, T., Shisslak, C., Bryson, S., Estes, L.S., Gray, N., et al. (1998). Factors associated with weight concerns in adolescent girls. International Journal of Eating Disorders , 24(1), 31-42.
52.
Wilson, M., Killen, J.D., Hammer, L.D., Litt, I.F., Vosti, C., Miner, B., et al. (1991). Insulin-like growth factor-I as a reflection of body composition, nutrition and puberty in sixth- and seventh-grade girls . Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 14(6), 323-325.
53.
Xie, B., Chou, C-P., Spruit-Metz, D., Liu, C., Xia, J., Gong, J., et al. (2005). Effects of perceived peer isolation and social support availability on the relationship between body mass index and depression symptoms. International Journal of Obesity, 29, 1137-1143.
54.
Young, C., Sipin, S., & Roe, D. (1968). Density and skinfold measurements: Body composition of pre-adolescent girls. Journal of American Dietetic Association , 53, 25-31.
55.
Zimmer-Gembeck, M.J., Geiger, T.C., & Crick, N.R. (2005). Relational and physical aggression, prosocial behavior, and peer relations: Gender moderation and bidirectional associations . Journal of Early Adolescence, 25(4), 421-452.
