Love withdrawal use by toddlers: Multi-informant associations with aggression and parents' use of love withdrawal.

Love withdrawal is a form of interpersonal manipulation that shares many features with relational aggression; its use by children has not been examined. Guided by social learning theory, we sought to investigate the prevalence of toddlers' use of love withdrawal toward caregivers (parents and teachers) and further investigate how this behavior was associated with relational and physical aggression and parents' use of love withdrawal. These aims were examined using parent and teacher reports in a sample of 198 toddlers (Mage = 33.62 months; SD = 5.00 months; 50.5% girls). We found that most toddlers used love withdrawal directed at parents (79.2%) and teachers (72.1%) when angry and displayed this type of behavior more than relational and physical aggression. Accounting for household income, hours per week in childcare, and child age in months, as well as classroom clustering, we found that relational aggression, and not physical aggression, predicted the use of love withdrawal by toddlers (teacher reports), and that the associations were stronger for love withdrawal and relational aggression than for physical aggression. We also found that parents' use of love withdrawal toward their child was correlated with their reports of their child's use of love withdrawal, but not with their child's use of aggression. These results highlight the importance of considering the use of love withdrawal by children given its association with aggression which is linked to poorer psychosocial functioning.

Bullying involvement and the transition to high school: A brief report.

School transitions are common educational experiences for children and adolescents and many of them worry about being bullied during this type of major life-changing point. In a sample of 701 Canadians assessed yearly from grade 5 (age 10) to grade 12 (age 18), we examined heterogeneous patterns of bullying involvement while statistically accounting for the transition into high school. Gender differences were also examined. Results indicated that on average, bullying victimization declined over time with a significant drop noted between grade 8 and grade 9 (the transition into high school), with few differences between girls and boys. Bullying perpetration also declined for most students (no gender differences), with a notable drop found at the transition into high school. However, for a subset of adolescents, the transition into high school was accompanied by an increase in bullying perpetration. These varied experiences highlight the need to model heterogeneity when examining the impact of school transitions on bullying, a neglected focus of inquiry to date. Our results suggest that moving into high school is beneficial for most adolescents involved in bullying, but not for all.

School bullying before and during COVID-19: Results from a population-based randomized design.

We examined the impact of COVID-19 on bullying prevalence rates in a sample of 6578 Canadian students in Grades 4 to 12. To account for school changes associated with the pandemic, students were randomized at the school level into two conditions: (1) the pre-COVID-19 condition, assessing bullying prevalence rates retrospectively before the pandemic, and (2) the current condition, assessing rates during the pandemic. Results indicated that students reported far higher rates of bullying involvement before the pandemic than during the pandemic across all forms of bullying (general, physical, verbal, and social), except for cyber bullying, where differences in rates were less pronounced. Despite anti-Asian rhetoric during the pandemic, no difference was found between East Asian Canadian and White students on bullying victimization. Finally, our validity checks largely confirmed previous published patterns in both conditions: (1) girls were more likely to report being bullied than boys, (2) boys were more likely to report bullying others than girls, (3) elementary school students reported higher bullying involvement than secondary school students, and (4) gender diverse and LGTBQ + students reported being bullied at higher rates than students who identified as gender binary or heterosexual. These results highlight that the pandemic may have mitigated bullying rates, prompting the need to consider retaining some of the educational reforms used to reduce the spread of the virus that could foster caring interpersonal relationships at school such as reduced class sizes, increased supervision, and blended learning.

The Temporal Precedence of Peer Rejection, Rejection Sensitivity, Depression, and Aggression Across Adolescence.

We examined the temporal precedence between perceived peer rejection, rejection sensitivity, depression, and aggression in a sample of 544 adolescents (55.7% girls; Mage = 14.96 years at the first measured time point) assessed yearly from Grade 9 to Grade 12. Using developmental cascade modelling to analyze the data, our study supported the symptoms-driven and social process models, in that perceived rejection was preceded by either depression or aggression at different times across adolescence. Similarly, rejection sensitivity was also preceded by depression and/or aggression. Although depression initiated the cascade leading to rejection sensitivity, our model also supported a bidirectional relation across late adolescence as rejection sensitivity also predicted future depression. Overall, our findings provide support that internalizing and externalizing problems lead to interpersonal difficulties with peers, such as perceived rejection and demonstrate the unique role of rejection sensitivity with regard to depression and aggression independent from perceived peer rejection.

Applying Natural Language Processing to Evaluate News Media Coverage of Bullying and Cyberbullying.

Bullying events have frequently been the focus of coverage by news media, including news stories about teens whose death from suicide was attributed to cyberbullying. Previous work has shown that news media coverage is influential to readers in areas such as suicide, infectious disease outbreaks, and tobacco use. News media may be an untapped resource to promote bullying prevention messages, though current news media approaches to describing bullying and cyberbullying remain unexplored. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current state of news media coverage of bullying and cyberbullying. A sample of newspaper articles covering bullying or cyberbullying across regional and national US newspapers from 6 recent years was identified. A content analysis using natural language processing was conducted with the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software program for key variables including affective, social, and cognitive processes. Evaluation included the percentage of words that represented Fear-based reporting such as alarmist words (e.g., epidemic, tragic), as well as words that represent Public Health-oriented messages such as prevention. A total of 463 newspaper articles met inclusion criteria, including 140 cyberbullying articles and 323 bullying articles. Findings indicated that cyberbullying articles scored higher on affective processes such as measures of anxiety (Mdn = 0.34) compared to bullying articles (Mdn = 0.22). A greater number of cyberbullying articles were Fear-based (41.4%) than were bullying articles (19.5%). An equivalent number of cyberbullying articles (50.0%) and bullying articles (49.8%) were Public Health-oriented. Findings may be used to collaborate with journalists toward optimizing prevention-oriented reporting.

Predicting dating behavior from aggression and self-perceived social status in adolescence.

We investigated the longitudinal associations between self-reported aggression, self-perceived social status, and dating in adolescence using an intrasexual competition theoretical framework. Participants consisted of 536 students in Grade 9 (age 15), recruited from a community sample, who were assessed on a yearly basis until they were in Grade 11 (age 17). Adolescents self-reported their use of direct and indirect aggression, social status, and number of dating partners. A cross-lagged panel model that controlled for within-time covariance and across-time stability while examining cross-lagged pathways was used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that direct aggression did not predict dating behavior and was negatively associated with self-perceived social status in Grade 10. Self-perceived social status in Grade 9 was positively associated with greater use of indirect aggression in Grade 10. Regarding dating, in Grade 9, self-perceived social status positively predicted more dating partners the following year, while in Grade 10, it was higher levels of indirect aggression that predicted greater dating activity the following year. Overall, there were no significant sex differences in the model. The study supports the utility of evolutionary psychological theory in explaining peer aggression, and suggests that although social status can increase dating opportunities, as adolescents mature, indirect aggression becomes the most successful and strategic means of competing intrasexually and gaining mating advantages.

Predicting borderline personality disorder symptoms in adolescents from childhood physical and relational aggression, depression, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Developmental cascade models linking childhood physical and relational aggression with symptoms of depression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; assessed at ages 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14) to borderline personality disorder (BPD) features (assessed at age 14) were examined in a community sample of 484 youth. Results indicated that, when controlling for within-time covariance and across-time stability in the examination of cross-lagged relations among study variables, BPD features at age 14 were predicted by childhood relational aggression and symptoms of depression for boys, and physical and relational aggression, symptoms of depression, and symptoms of ADHD for girls. Moreover, for boys BPD features were predicted from age 10 ADHD through age 12 depression, whereas for girls the pathway to elevated BPD features at age 14 was from depression at age 10 through physical aggression symptoms at age 12. Controlling for earlier associations among variables, we found that for girls the strongest predictor of BPD features at age 14 was physical aggression, whereas for boys all the risk indicators shared a similar predictive impact. This study adds to the growing literature showing that physical and relational aggression ought to be considered when examining early precursors of BPD features.

Social Media Friendship Jealousy.

A new measure to assess friendship jealousy in the context of social media was developed. This one-factor, seven-item measure was psychometrically sound, showing evidence of validity and reliability in three samples of North American adults (Study 1, n = 491; Study 2, n = 494; Study 3, n = 415) and one-, two-, and three-year stability (Study 3). Women reported more social media friendship jealousy than men (Studies 2 and 3) and younger women had the highest levels of social media friendship jealousy (compared with younger men and older men and women; Study 2). Social media friendship jealousy was associated with lower friendship quality (Study 1) and higher social media use and trait jealousy (Study 2). The relation between social media friendship jealousy and internalizing symptoms indicated positive within time associations and longitudinal bidirectional relations (Study 3). Specifically, social media friendship jealousy predicted increases in internalizing problems, and internalizing problems predicted greater social media friendship jealousy accounting for gender and trait levels of social media friendship jealousy and internalizing problems. Anxious and depressed adults may be predisposed to monitor threats to their friendships via social media and experience negative consequences because of this behavior. Although social media interactions can be associated with positive well-being and social connectedness, our results highlight that they can also undermine friendships and mental health due to jealousy.

Behavioral and neural responses to social exclusion in women: the role of facial attractiveness and friendliness.

The behavioral and neural responses to social exclusion were examined in women randomized to four conditions, varying in levels of attractiveness and friendliness. Informed by evolutionary theory, we predicted that being socially excluded by attractive unfriendly women would be more distressing than being excluded by unattractive women, irrespective of their friendliness level. Our results contradicted most of our predictions but provide important insights into women's responses to interpersonal conflict. Accounting for rejection sensitivity, P300 event-related potential amplitudes were largest when women were excluded by unattractive unfriendly women. This may be due to an expectancy violation or an annoyance with being excluded by women low on social desirability. An examination of anger rumination rates by condition suggests the latter. Only attractive women's attractiveness ratings were lowered in the unfriendly condition, indicating they were specifically punished for their exclusionary behavior. Women were more likely to select attractive women to compete against with one exception-they selected the Black attractive opponent less often than the White attractive opponent when presented as unfriendly. Finally, consistent with studies on retaliation in relation to social exclusion, women tended to rate competitors who rejected them as being more rude, more competitive, less attractive, less nice, and less happy than non-competitors. The ubiquity of social exclusion and its pointed emotional and physiological impact on women demands more research on this topic.

Longitudinal associations between academic achievement and depressive symptoms in adolescence: Methodological considerations and analytical approaches for identifying temporal priority.

Failure to meet educational expectations in adolescence can derail an individual's potential, leading to hardship in adulthood. Lower academic achievement is also associated with poorer mental health, and both share common pathways to adult functional outcomes like employment status and economic security. Although linked in adolescence, and predictive of similar outcomes in adulthood, methodological and analytical limitations of the literature do not permit the assessment of the temporal priority between academic achievement and mental health. This omission of directionality hampers intervention and prevention efforts. In this narrative review, we summarize the literature on the temporal ordering between academic achievement and depressive symptoms in adolescence, a particularly vulnerable developmental period. We propose methodological and analytical strategies to guide future research to disentangle the chronological ordering between academic achievement and depressive symptoms-recommendations that can be used to examine other sets of correlated variables over time. Specifically, we highlight methodological issues that require attention such as the need to understand reciprocal and cascading influences over time by attending to repeated measures and timing, measurement consistency, reporter effects, examination of processes and mechanisms, and missing data. Finally, we discuss the need to embrace analytical methods that separate within-person from between-person effects; account for heterogeneity in associations using person-centered approaches; and use the two approaches as complementary, rather than competing, for a more holistic examination of temporality.

Anxiety symptoms before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal examination of Canadian young adults.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many changes that may impact anxiety symptoms (i.e., general anxiety and somatization), particularly for young adults who were at higher risk for anxiety than older adults. We examined anxiety symptoms before (age 19, 20, 21, and 22) and during the pandemic (age 23 and 24) in a cohort of Canadian young adults (n = 396). Latent growth curve models were performed for general anxiety and somatization and the pandemic time points were estimated as structured residuals to quantify the change from participants' expected trajectories. We also examined whether fear of COVID-19 predicted the changes in anxiety symptoms during the pandemic. Results indicated that a history of general anxiety and somatization positively predicted fear of COVID-19 during the pandemic and negatively predicted pandemic change from predicted values for both general anxiety and somatization. Increased COVID-19 fear was related within time to increases in general anxiety at ages 23 and 24 and increases in somatization at age 24. We also found that the proportion of individuals in the subclinical/clinical range of somatization was higher from age 23-24, but not from age 22-23 and there were no differences for general anxiety. Results highlight the need to consider within-person change and development in evaluating anxiety symptom changes and predictors of changes in anxiety symptoms.

Bullying before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rates of bullying during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time of unprecedented public health and social restrictions, were compared to earlier times when students attended school in person. Several studies indicated a notable decrease in the prevalence of bullying victimization and perpetration during the pandemic, particularly when online learning was implemented. But studies from countries with fewer social restrictions indicated increases in rates of bullying during the pandemic. Mixed results regarding prevalence rates for some bullying forms (e.g., cyberbullying) were also found. Racialized youth and LGBTQ+ youth reliably reported higher rates of bullying victimization during the pandemic, consistent with pre-pandemic patterns. Reasons for the inconsistencies in findings likely relate to diverse methods, timeframes, and sampling techniques, as well as different experiences with pandemic social restrictions. More longitudinal studies are needed to assess whether bullying involvement did in fact "change" during, compared to before, the pandemic. The findings point to the importance of peer relationships and hint at the potential of increased teacher supervision as a bullying prevention strategy.

Longitudinal Associations Between Primary and Secondary Psychopathic Traits, Delinquency, and Current Dating Status in Adolescence.

Many have examined the desirability and mate competition tactics of adults higher on psychopathy using cross-sectional data, but few have studied the longitudinal associations between the lower-order factors of psychopathy (e.g., primary and secondary psychopathy) with indices of mating behavior in adolescents. More work is also needed to unravel how psychopathic youth outcompete rivals for mates. Delinquency has long been associated with dating and sexual behavior in adolescents, which may help to explain the competitive success of youth higher in psychopathic traits in vying for mates. We used cross-lagged panel modeling with three waves of data from a randomly drawn sample of 514 Canadian adolescents who provided annual self-reports of primary and secondary psychopathy, delinquency, and dating involvement from Grades 10 to 12 (15-18 years of age). Constructs were temporally stable. Secondary psychopathy and delinquency had positive within-time correlations with current dating status in Grade 10. A cross-lagged pathway from delinquency to dating involvement was supported from Grade 10 to 11, which replicated from Grade 11 to 12. However, this effect was specific to boys and not girls. An indirect effect also emerged whereby secondary psychopathy in Grade 10 increased the likelihood of being in a dating relationship in Grade 12 via heightened delinquency in Grade 11.

Application of Transactional (Cross-lagged panel) Models in Mental Health Research: An Introduction and Review of Methodological Considerations.

Transactional models employing cross-lagged panels have been used for over 40 years to examine the longitudinal relations and directional associations between variables of interest to child and adolescent mental health. Through a narrative synthesis of the literature, we provide an accessible overview of cross-lagged panels with attention to developing a research question, study design and assumptions, dynamic effects (including the random-intercept cross-lagged panel model), and reporting and interpretation of results. Implications and critical appraisal guidelines for readers are discussed throughout. Overall, several key points are highlighted, with particular emphasis on the intended level of inference, model and measure selection, and timing of assessments. Despite limitations in establishing causation, cross-lagged panel models are fundamental to non-experimental epidemiologic research in child mental health and development.

Les modèles transactionnels qui emploient des panels à décalage croisé sont en usage depuis plus de 40 ans dans le but d'examiner les relations longitudinales et les associations directionnelles entre les variables d'intérêt pour la santé mentale des enfants et des adolescents. Grâce à une synthèse narrative de la littérature, nous offrons une vue d'ensemble accessible de panels à décalage croisé en portant attention à l'élaboration d'une question de recherche, à la conception de l'étude et aux hypothèses, aux effets dynamiques (y compris le modèle du panel à décalage croisé à interception aléatoire), et le rapport et l'interprétation des résultats. Les implications et les guides d'évaluation critique pour les lecteurs sont discutés tout au long. En général, plusieurs points principaux sont soulignés et l'accent est mis sur le niveau voulu d'inférence, la sélection et la mesure du modèle, et la chronologie des évaluations. Malgré les limites de l'établissement d'une cause, les modèles des panels à décalage croisé sont fondamentaux pour la recherche épidémiologique non expérimentale en santé mentale et développement de l'enfant.

Longitudinal associations among primary and secondary psychopathic traits, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder features across adolescence.

The individual and societal burden of psychopathy warrants an investigation into identifying its early precursors and developmental course. Accordingly, we examined the longitudinal pathways between primary and secondary psychopathic traits, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder (BPD) features across adolescence. Participants included 572 Canadian adolescents (253 girls; aged 13.96 [SD = 0.37] in Grade 8; 70.6% Caucasian) who were assessed annually on five occasions (Grades 8-12) using the Antisocial Process Screening Device (psychopathic traits), the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2 (symptoms of anxiety), and the Borderline Personality Features Scale for Children (features of BPD). Autoregressive latent trajectory models with structured residuals provided stringent tests of within-person cross-lagged associations, while controlling for sex, race/ethnicity, household income, and parental education. Results indicated that primary psychopathic traits were preceded by and predicted anxiety such that individuals who increased in primary psychopathic traits subsequently declined in anxiety, and vice versa. Results also indicated that BPD features were associated with secondary psychopathic traits and anxiety. Specifically, increases in BPD features were linked with increases in secondary psychopathic traits and anxiety. Our results suggest that even after accounting for between-person associations and other known correlates, the development of psychopathic traits is embedded within the development of emotional characteristics and personality features. This highlights areas for intervention in adolescence, particularly around the core, shared trait of impulsivity and anger. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Bullying and school transition: Context or development?

The relative impact of school transition versus development on peer victimization and bullying perpetration were examined in a natural experiment involving 698 students where half transitioned into middle school from Grade 5 to Grade 6 and the other half remained in their elementary school over the same period. Results indicated that, on average, peer victimization decreased over the transition period while bullying perpetration remained stable for the whole sample. Multilevel modeling was used to investigate the effects of school transition and sex on changes in victimization and perpetration. Results indicated that the effect of transition status on changes in peer victimization was moderated by sex. Middle school transition status predicted decreases in peer victimization for girls, but not for boys, who transitioned. However, school transition status and participants' sex (and their interaction) did not predict changes in perpetration over time. Our findings indicate that changes in student involvement with peer victimization are better understood as a contextual rather than a typical developmental process, whereas bullying perpetration may be better understood as developmental.

School climate, peer victimization, and academic achievement: results from a multi-informant study.

School-level school climate was examined in relation to self-reported peer victimization and teacher-rated academic achievement (grade point average; GPA). Participants included a sample of 1,023 fifth-grade children nested within 50 schools. Associations between peer victimization, school climate, and GPA were examined using multilevel modeling, with school climate as a contextual variable. Boys and girls reported no differences in victimization by their peers, although boys had lower GPAs than girls. Peer victimization was related to lower GPA and to a poorer perception of school climate (individual-level), which was also associated with lower GPA. Results of multilevel analyses revealed that peer victimization was again negatively associated with GPA, and that lower school-level climate was associated with lower GPA. Although no moderating effects of school-level school climate or sex were observed, the relation between peer victimization and GPA remained significant after taking into account (a) school-level climate scores, (b) individual variability in school-climate scores, and (c) several covariates--ethnicity, absenteeism, household income, parental education, percentage of minority students, type of school, and bullying perpetration. These findings underscore the importance of a positive school climate for academic success and viewing school climate as a fundamental collective school outcome. Results also speak to the importance of viewing peer victimization as being harmfully linked to students' academic performance.

Longitudinal links between childhood peer victimization, internalizing and externalizing problems, and academic functioning: developmental cascades.

Developmental cascade models linking childhood peer victimization, internalizing and externalizing problems, and academic functioning were examined in a sample of 695 children assessed in Grade 3 (academic only) and Grades 5, 6, 7, and 8. Results revealed several complex patterns of associations in which poorer functioning in one domain influenced poorer outcomes in other areas. For example, a symptom driven pathway was consistently found with internalizing problems predicting future peer victimization. Support for an academic incompetence model was also found-- lower GPA in Grade 5, 6, and 7 was associated with more externalizing issues in the following year, and poor writing performance in Grade 3 predicted lower grades in Grade 5, which in turn predicted more externalizing problems in Grade 6. Results highlight the need to examine bidirectional influences and multifarious transactions that exist between peer victimization, mental health, and academic functioning over time.