Citation

Nixon CL, Linkie CA, Coleman PK, Fitch C. J. Adolesc. Health 2011; 49(3): 294-299.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, Erie, Pennsylvania.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.12.018

PMID

21856522

Abstract

PURPOSE: To develop effective prevention and intervention efforts that optimize adolescent health, factors must be identified that affect health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between somatic symptomatology and experiences with relational victimization (RV). METHODS: We prospectively tested the unique role of relational peer victimization in predicting adolescents' somatic complaints (SC), while accounting for their previous physical symptoms and peer victimization experiences (i.e., relational and physical victimization), as well as concurrent experiences with physical victimization (PV). Questionnaires were administered to 1,595 students (52% females) from eight schools in one school district (grades, 5-8) in the Midwestern part of the United States during the fall and spring sessions of the academic school year. Self-reported measures included demographic characteristics, victimization experiences, and assessment of SC. RESULTS: RV was a unique predictor of increased somatic symptoms, even after controlling for adolescents' sex, grade level, initial SC, previous victimization experiences, and concurrent experiences with PV. Notably, RV was a stronger predictor of somatic symptoms than was PV. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings underscore the need for a comprehensive approach when addressing adolescents' physical health symptoms. Adolescents may benefit from clinicians looking beyond the obvious and using gentle probing to uncover how unique experiences with RV may be associated with overall health.

Language: en