Citation

Dao TK, Kerbs JJ, Rollin SA, Potts I, Gutierrez R, Choi K, Creason AH, Wolf A, Prevatt F. J. Adolesc. Health 2006; 39(2): 277-282.

Affiliation

Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems at Florida State University in the College of Education, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jadohealth.2005.11.001

PMID

16857541

Abstract

This study examined the association between past experience of victimization (PEV), perceived risk of victimization (PRV), and nonspecific psychological distress (NSPD). Repeated measures-analysis of variance and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted on 186 seventh grade middle school students from an urban university-research-affiliated school. Results indicated that gender, PEV, and PRV significantly predicted NSPD. There were no gender differences in either the total number of past experience of victimization or depressive and/or anxious feelings reported. However, the types of victimization experienced as well as perceived risk of victimization appeared to be gender-related in that boys were significantly higher than girls on past experience of physical aggression and property aggression but significantly lower than girls on past experience of emotional aggression and perceived risk of victimization. In gender-specific analyses, PRV mediated the effects of PEV on NSPD for girls but not boys. The reasons for these findings, as well as implications for social policies and future directions, are discussed.

Language: en