The Development and Interaction of Peer Victimization and Peer Sexual Harassment in Children Between Ages 10 to 12 Years

• Background/Aim: The literature concerning children’s experiences of peer victimization uses a plethora of concepts in its theories and measurements, such as peer victimization, peer harassment, peer aggression, or bullying. Yet there is little guidance regarding how these concepts are related to one another. During recent years, peer sexual harassment, including unwanted sexual attention from peers, has been added to the list of concepts, although it is still underexplored among pre-adolescent children. Peer sexual harassment is arguably more specific than peer victimization, and may partly be covered by measures assessing peer victimization. However, there may also be differences in the concepts’ development over time. Whereas peer victimization is most common among pre-pubertal children, peer sexual harassment is often assumed to peak as children reach puberty and interest in sexual behaviors increases. Disentangling how peer victimization and peer sexual harassment develop in relation to one another and over time at a time when many children reach puberty, could help advance the literature regarding these concepts. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine how peer victimization and peer sexual harassment develop and interact over time in children between the ages 10-12 years. Method: The study is based on three-wave questionnaire data collected in the PRISE-project (T1 N = 997, M age = 10.0 years, 48% girls; T2 N = 966; T3 N = 881 [88% of original sample]). Results: Peer sexual harassment increased between ages 10-12 years for both boys and girls, whereas peer victimization increased only for girls. Correlations between peer victimization and peer sexual harassment were strong at baseline (age 10 years; T1: boys r = .60, T1: girls r = .63) but became weaker over time for both boys (T2: r = .58, T3: r = .51) and girls (T2: r = .60; T3: r = .49). A multivariate multigroup LGCM analysis further demonstrated that more peer victimization at baseline was positively related to higher levels of peer sexual harassment at baseline for both boys and girls. For girls only, the slopes between peer victimization and peer sexual harassment were positively related to each other, and higher initial levels of peer sexual harassment were related to a less steep slope of peer victimization. Discussion/Conclusion: The current findings suggest that peer victimization (girls only) and peer sexual harassment become increasingly frequent experiences for children between ages 10-12 years. These experiences were more related to one another when the children were younger and became less related as they grew older, suggesting that the concepts change in relation to one another as many children reach puberty. For girls, peer sexual harassment and peer victimization seem to follow a more similar path than for boys, suggesting that there is more overlap between how the concepts develop among girls. We conclude that the concepts of peer victimization and peer sexual harassment and their development are closely linked to one another, especially for girls; yet, these concepts become more distinct as children grow older potentially reflecting biological, psychological, and social developmental changes.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Peer victimization; Peer sexual harassment; Development; Children; Early Adolescence

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

kon (subject category)