TY - JOUR
T1 - Trajectories of Italian Children’s Peer Rejection
T2 - Associations with Aggression, Prosocial Behavior, Physical Attractiveness, and Adolescent Adjustment
AU - Di Giunta, Laura
AU - Pastorelli, Concetta
AU - Thartori, Eriona
AU - Bombi, Anna Silvia
AU - Baumgartner, Emma
AU - Fabes, Richard
AU - Martin, Carol
AU - Enders, Craig K.
PY - 2017/12/8
Y1 - 2017/12/8
N2 - In the present study, the predictors and outcomes associated with the trajectories of peer rejection were examined in a longitudinal sample of Italian children (338 boys, 269 girls) ages 10 to 14 years. Follow-up assessments included 60% of the original sample at age 16–17. Low, medium, and high rejection trajectory groups were identified using growth mixture models. Consistent with previous studies, we found that (a) being less prosocial and more physically aggressive at age 10 was characteristic of those children with the high rejection trajectory; (b) being less attractive was related to higher peer rejection from age 10 to 14; and (c) boys with a high rejection trajectory showed high levels of delinquency and anxiety-depression and low levels of academic aspiration at age 16–17, whereas girls with a high rejection trajectory showed low levels of academic aspiration and social competence at age 16–17. Our findings indicate the detrimental consequences of peer rejection on children’s development and adjustment and shed light on the mechanisms that contribute to maintaining or worsening (e.g., being attractive, prosocial, and aggressive) a child’s negative status (e.g., being rejected) within his or her peer group over time.
AB - In the present study, the predictors and outcomes associated with the trajectories of peer rejection were examined in a longitudinal sample of Italian children (338 boys, 269 girls) ages 10 to 14 years. Follow-up assessments included 60% of the original sample at age 16–17. Low, medium, and high rejection trajectory groups were identified using growth mixture models. Consistent with previous studies, we found that (a) being less prosocial and more physically aggressive at age 10 was characteristic of those children with the high rejection trajectory; (b) being less attractive was related to higher peer rejection from age 10 to 14; and (c) boys with a high rejection trajectory showed high levels of delinquency and anxiety-depression and low levels of academic aspiration at age 16–17, whereas girls with a high rejection trajectory showed low levels of academic aspiration and social competence at age 16–17. Our findings indicate the detrimental consequences of peer rejection on children’s development and adjustment and shed light on the mechanisms that contribute to maintaining or worsening (e.g., being attractive, prosocial, and aggressive) a child’s negative status (e.g., being rejected) within his or her peer group over time.
KW - Growth mixture modeling
KW - Peer rejection
KW - Physical aggression
KW - Physical attractiveness
KW - Prosocial behavior
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U2 - 10.1007/s10802-017-0373-7
DO - 10.1007/s10802-017-0373-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 29218645
AN - SCOPUS:85037369564
SP - 1
EP - 15
JO - Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
JF - Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
SN - 0091-0627
ER -