RESUMO
Bullying has attracted increased attention due to the serious implications for perpetrators, victims, and schools. Recent studies have sought to identify factors that may contribute to bullying perpetration, and child abuse has been identified as one such factor. The mediating processes linking child abuse to bullying perpetration, however, are not well understood. The current study explored adolescent mental health problems, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, dissociation, and posttraumatic stress disorder, and poor social skills as pathways between childhood abuse and adolescent bullying perpetration. Data for the current study are from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect. The current study utilized a longitudinal and multi-informant design in which adolescents reported their history of childhood abuse, mental health problems, and social skills when they were 12 years old; bullying perpetration was reported by adolescent's teachers when adolescents were 12 and 14. Results indicated childhood abuse was associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, anger, dissociation, posttraumatic stress, and poor social skills. Only anxiety and poor social skills at age 12 were significantly associated with bullying perpetration when adolescents when were 14. Bootstrapped indirect effects from childhood abuse to bullying perpetration were significant for both anxiety and poor social skills, indicating full mediation. Addressing anxiety and poor social skills in early adolescence among children who have been abused may prevent bullying perpetration in mid-adolescence. Clinicians, teachers, and school administrators may desire to focus efforts on reducing anxiety and increasing social skills to mitigate bullying perpetration.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Research has established that childhood maltreatment is associated with interpersonal problems across the life course. Less is known regarding how maltreatment is linked with adult's provision of emotional support to their family members, friends, and romantic partners. OBJECTIVE: To examine how maltreatment severity is associated with adult's provisions of emotional support to family members, friends, and romantic partners and examine differences between men and women. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A sample of 1255 adults (56 % women) was collected between 2005 and 2009. METHODS: Data are from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS). Participants completed retrospective survey reports of childhood maltreatment and current provision of emotional support provided to family members, friends, and romantic partners. RESULTS: Using hierarchical regression analysis, childhood maltreatment was negatively associated with provisions of emotional support provided to family members (b = -0.013, p < .05), friends (b = -0.013, p < .05), and romantic partners (b = -0.016, p < .05) above and beyond other childhood adversities, current mental health symptomology, and current stress. Gender moderated the relationship for friends (b = 0.012, p < . 05) and romantic partners (b = 0.015, p < .05) where women provided more emotional support than men while no gender differences in support provided to family members (b = 0.009, p > .05.) CONCLUSION: Childhood maltreatment contributes to less provision of emotional support to family members, friends, and spouses for both men and women and is particularly detrimental for men. Clinical Implications are discussed.
