Adolescent Substance Use at the Intersection of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.

BACKGROUND: Substance use in adolescence is associated with multiple negative outcomes. Lesbian, gay, or bisexual or transgender or nonbinary (TNB) youth, and those who question their sexual orientation or gender, are more likely to engage in substance use than straight or cisgender youth. However, the extant literature largely considers sexual orientation and gender identity independently. Accordingly, this study examines the associations between the intersectional identities of sexual orientation and gender and substance use to identify those with the greatest need for prevention interventions. METHODS: Data were from 36 504 high school students aged 14 to 18 years (mean = 15.7, SD = 1.18) enrolled in the 2019 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey using a statewide stratified random sampling design. Logistic regression models examined the associations between intersectional sexual orientation and gender on marijuana use, prescription drug misuse, and polysubstance use, as well as depression and violence victimization (eg, forced sex, partner violence). RESULTS: Adjusted odds of substance use for sexual and gender minority youth varied by intersectional identity and substance. The largest effect sizes were seen for prescription drug misuse, especially among those questioning their gender and sexual orientation and heterosexuals either questioning their gender or who identified as TNB. Effect sizes for marijuana use and polysubstance use were highest for TNB and heterosexual participants. Depression and violence victimization were significantly associated with each substance use outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to reduce substance use in these populations may benefit from targeted interventions for youth with different intersectional identities, and a focus on violence prevention and depression screening and treatment.

Examining Individual and Contextual Correlates of Victimization for Juvenile Human Trafficking in Florida.

Despite extant literature on individual-level risk factors for sex trafficking among children and adolescents, little is known about the impact of social and ecological contexts on risk of human trafficking victimization. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlates signaling risk of human trafficking victimization at the individual, family, social, and community levels utilizing a sample of 40,531 justice-involved male and female youth, a small fraction of whom were suspected or verified victims of human trafficking between 2011 and 2015 (N = 801, including 699 female and 102 male youth). Using this sample, we examined differences across individual, family, social, and community characteristics of youth involved in the juvenile justice system who have a history of trafficking victimization and youth without such histories. Series of logistic regression analyses were conducted using varying control groups, created through exact matching and randomized matching groups to address sample imbalances. These analyses indicate that, at the individual level, youth who had experienced childhood adversities were more likely to report human trafficking victimization. Sex differences were found regarding risk factors pertaining to the family and broader socio-ecological contexts. Female youth who had witnessed family violence had an antisocial partner or antisocial friends, or resided in a community with a greater proportion of the population being foreign-born or speaking English less than very well were at heightened risk for human trafficking victimization. Little evidence was found for community-level risk factors of victimization in this specific sample of justice-involved youth. These findings encourage more research to unpack the multilevel correlates of victimizations at the individual, family, social, and community levels, recognizing potential differences between female and male youth regarding the factors that put them at heightened risk for juvenile sex trafficking victimizations. Practice and policy should direct awareness and prevention measures to social and ecological contexts.

Risk and Protective Factors of Self-harm and Suicidality in Adolescents: An Umbrella Review with Meta-Analysis.

Suicide remains the second most common cause of death in young people aged 10-24 years and is a growing concern globally. The literature reports a vast number of factors that can predispose an adolescent to suicidality at an individual, relational, community, or societal level. There is limited high-level research identifying and understanding these risk and protective factors of adolescent suicidality. The present study used an umbrella review and meta-analysis to synthesize evidence from the review literature in the past 20 years on risk and protective factors of self-harm and suicidality (behavior and ideation) in adolescents. The umbrella review included 33 quantitative reviews with 1149 individual studies on suicidality and self-harm. Based on the data synthesis, it compared the public health impact of exposure on the population of the identified exposure. Bullying victimization was the most attributed environmental exposure for suicidality. The other identified significant school and individual factors were sleeping disturbance, school absenteeism, and exposure to antidepressants. Several significant vulnerable young populations were identified with significantly higher prevalence of suicidality, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or questioning) youth and those with mental health disorders, problem behaviors, previous suicidality, self-harm, and gender (female). A person-centered approach emphasizing connectedness and bully-free school environments should be a priority focus for schools, health professionals, and public health policymakers.

Not so Simple: Examining the Gendered Nature of Intimate Partner Assault Victimizations.

Although prior research has established a relationship between neighborhood structure and intimate partner violence (IPV), much of this literature focuses on serious IPV, despite the fact that less serious forms of IPV comprise the majority of IPV instances. Further, women are far more likely to experience all types of IPV victimization relative to men, especially simple assault, yet the relative importance of neighborhood structure across gradations of IPV and victim sex is relatively unexplored. We use data from Los Angeles, CA, and disaggregate IPV assaults across victim sex to examine whether neighborhood factors have differential effects on simple and aggravated IPV. We find differential effects of neighborhood structure by victim sex, especially for simple assault. Most notably, we find that neighborhood racial composition has significantly greater effects on females relative to male victims of simple IPV assault, while residential stability is protective of women more so than men. Only the percent of vacant or owner-occupied housing was specific to male simple IPV victimization. This suggests that neighborhood-based interventions should differ depending on the type of IPV being targeted.

The Role of Childhood Violence in Adult Victimization Among Women Experiencing Homelessness in Spain.

Persons experiencing homelessness represent one of the principal manifestations of the phenomenon of social exclusion, with homeless women constituting a group in a particularly vulnerable situation. The article analyzed the experience of violence in childhood and adolescence, and its implications in terms of violence experienced as an adult, in a sample of women experiencing homelessness in Madrid (Spain) (n = 138). All participants were of legal age and had spent the night before the interview in a shelter or other facility for the homeless, on the street, in public spaces or in places not suitable for sleeping. Information was gathered through a structured interview. The results show that the interviewees had experienced a high percentage of physical, psychological, and/or sexual violence, both in their childhood and adolescence and throughout their lives, with a strong correlation between the experience of violence in childhood and the experience of violence in adulthood, particularly sexual assaults, intimate partner violence, and sex work. The experience of childhood sexual abuse among women experiencing homelessness appears to have had particularly negative consequences in adulthood. Public policies, prevention programs, and care mechanisms with a gendered perspective must be implemented, aimed at reducing the number and intensity of situations of violence experienced by women and girls at risk of social exclusion or in a homeless situation.

Self-regulatory Sex Motives Scale in Online Dating: Exploratory Factor Analysis and Internal Consistency.

Risky sex behavior is common among online dating users. Understanding the motives behind risky sex behavior might help identify suitable targets for prevention. We developed the Self-regulatory Sex Motives Scale in Online Dating (SSOD) to assess sex motives for casual sex in online dating users. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the SSOD and examined the relationship between sex motives indexed by the SSOD and risky sex behavior. The new scale showed high internal consistency. Exploratory factor analysis suggested a one-factor solution. Sex motives were related to a higher frequency of having sex on the first date.

Longitudinal Relationships Between Bullying Victimization and Dual Social Behaviors: The Roles of Self-Compassion and Trauma-Related Shame.

Purpose: Bullying victimization is a serious issue among college students, which might affect the development of their social behaviors. Based on the theory of stress and coping and emotion regulation theory, the present study examined the mediating role of self-compassion and trauma-related shame between bullying victimization and cyber aggression/prosocial behavior. Patients and Methods: We gathered self-reporting data on bullying victimization, self-compassion, trauma-related shame, cyber aggression, and prosocial behavior from 634 college students in China using a three-wave longitudinal design survey. Structural equation modeling was used to test temporal mediation. Results: The results showed that bullying victimization predicted cyber aggression and prosocial behavior via trauma-related shame and the chain effect of self-compassion and trauma-related shame. Moreover, self-compassion also mediated the relationship between bullying victimization and prosocial behavior. Conclusion: The study revealed the different emotional processes that underlie both bullying victimization and different social behaviors. It also contributes to more effective prevention and intervention measures for the social adaptation of bullied students.

Firearms and Extortions in Mexico, 2012 to 2021.

The study of firearm violence in Mexico has primarily focused on homicides and trafficking. Less attention has been given to understanding how firearms affect other crimes and facilitate criminal activity beyond drug markets. By analyzing two questions, this study explores the role of firearms in extortions perpetrated in Mexico from 2012 to 2021. Questions are: What is the likelihood of reporting extortions to the police if offenders exhibited firearms? What is the likelihood of compliance with demands when offenders are armed with firearms? We obtained data from Mexico's National Crime Victimization Surveys and analyzed 2,619 extortions reported from 2012 to 2021. To explore our research questions, we ran two binary logistic regressions. Our dependent variables were dichotomous (reported to police = 1, complied with demands = 1). The independent variables were weapon types (extortions involving firearms as the reference group). We controlled for victim demographics as well as crime characteristics. Our results indicate that 40% of these extortions (n = 1,058) were perpetrated with a firearm. Fifty-two percent of extortions were perpetrated by unarmed offenders (n = 1,348) and 8% (n = 213) were perpetrated with other weapons (no firearms). Models suggest that, when compared to extortions perpetrated by unarmed offenders or those exhibiting other weapons (no firearms), victims of extortions involving firearms are less likely to report these crimes to police, mainly because of fear of reprisal. Similarly, victims are more likely to comply with demands if offenders exhibit firearms. Findings highlight the role of firearms in criminal enterprises and support the need for a comprehensive policy agenda to address firearm violence in Mexico.

Online and offline dating violence: same same, but different?

BACKGROUND: Violent behaviors in romantic relationships among adolescents and young people are pressing social matter as they have an effect on both victims and aggressors. Moreover, in the last decades, new forms of harassment, control, and abuse through social networks and mobile phones have arisen. Therefore, now forms of online and offline dating violence coexist. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to analyze the prevalence rates by sex and age and the co-occurrence of online and offline dating violence. Moreover, the roles of online and offline dating violence aggressors and victims for their self-esteem, hostility, general psychological state, and emotional intelligence were investigated. METHOD: Three hundred forty-one university students from the Basque Country, Spain, participated in the study. They completed six validated instruments related to the mentioned variables. RESULTS: Results highlight the high prevalence of online and offline dating violence in the sample and the co-occurrence of both types. No gender nor sex differences were found for online and offline dating violence perpetration and victimization. The correlation between online and offline dating violence was confirmed, and the reciprocity of violence is greater for offline violence. In relation to the role, both types of victims (online and offline) showed higher levels of hostility and psychological symptomatology than non-victims, but differences in self-esteem and emotional regulation were found in these modalities. Online and offline perpetrators shared hostility and some psychological symptoms as characteristics compared to non-victims, but differed in other symptoms and emotional intelligence. CONCLUSION: There is a continuum between offline and online victimization perpetration albeit differences in the characteristics such as self-esteem, emotional intelligence, and general functioning exist.

Forensic psychological procedures in cases of technology-facilitated sexual abuse among adolescents: A scoping review.

Technology-facilitated sexual abuse refers to the use of information and communication technologies to facilitate both virtual and in-person sexual crimes. Research on this topic has focused on rates, risk factors, and consequences. This scoping review aims to understand whether and how forensic psychological procedures are adapted to assess adolescent victims and how Internet-based information might be useful as complementary data. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extensions for Scoping Reviews guidelines, searches were conducted in April 2023 in five electronic databases to include Portuguese, Spanish, or English quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method peer-reviewed studies. Of the 2523 studies, six were considered eligible. Identified procedures include forensic interviews following the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development Protocol, and risk and trauma assessments. While discussing technology's role in abuse during interviews was informative, confronting adolescents with evidence of their abuse had adverse effects on their testimony and recovery. The assessment tools often had a narrow focus or overlooked the abuse unless explicitly disclosed, implied a referral, or when safeguarding concerns were raised. Clinical, forensic, and criminal implications are elaborated.

Longitudinal associations between childhood victimization and neuroticism from middle childhood to early adolescence.

BACKGROUND: Previous cross-sectional and unidirectional longitudinal studies have identified positive associations between childhood victimization and neuroticism in children. However, these studies have not simultaneously examined multiple common sources of childhood victimization (family abuse, teacher abuse, and peer victimization) in relation to neuroticism nor have they distinguished between- and within-person effects. Moreover, the moderating role of child sex in their associations has yet to be fully evaluated. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the within-person longitudinal associations between three common sources of childhood victimization and neuroticism in Chinese children and whether these effects differed between boys and girls. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The sample included 4315 children (55.1 % boys) with an average age of 9.93 (SD = 0.73) years from a large city in China. METHODS: Participants completed self-report measures on five occasions across two years, employing six-month intervals. Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models (RI-CLPMs) were used to distinguish between-person and within-person effects. RESULTS: Results included: (a) Family abuse (excluding sexual abuse) and peer victimization directly predicted subsequent increases in neuroticism at the within-person level and vice versa, whereas teacher abuse and neuroticism did not reveal significant longitudinal relations at the within-person level; (b) The effect of family abuse on neuroticism at the within-person level was stronger in boys, while the effect of peer victimization on neuroticism at the within-person level was stronger in girls. CONCLUSIONS: Prevention and intervention strategies targeting high neuroticism and childhood victimization should consider the roles of both family and peer systems.

The relationship between bullying victimization and problematic behaviors: A focus on the intrapersonal emotional competence and interpersonal social competence.

BACKGROUND: Evidence consistently demonstrated that bullying victimization was associated with problematic behaviors among adolescents. However, scant attention has been given to simultaneous comparisons of the impacts of two distinct forms of victimization, traditional bullying victimization and cyberbullying victimization. In addition, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between bullying victimization and problem behavior remain inadequately explored. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the correlation between bullying victimization and problematic behaviors, as well as the mediating roles of intrapersonal emotional competence and interpersonal social competence. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A sample of 26,450 adolescents with a mean age of 15.44 (SD = 0.56) across nine countries was derived from the Study on Social and Emotional Skills (SSES). METHODS: Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling, comprising three key components: the measurement model, the structural model, and the bootstrapping analysis for mediating effects. RESULTS: Both traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimization exhibited positive correlations with problematic behaviors, with cyberbullying victimization demonstrating a stronger effect. The mediating effects of intrapersonal emotional competence and interpersonal social competence were observed in the correlation between bullying victimization and problematic behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: This study not only contributed to our comprehension of the underlying mechanisms connecting bullying victimization and adolescent problematic behaviors, but also holds significance for policy development and practice.

Peer victimization, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and chronic pain: A longitudinal examination.

Chronic pain and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSS) co-occur at high rates in youth and are linked to worse pain outcomes and quality of life. While peer victimization has been posited as a mechanism underlying the PTSS-pain relationship in youth, empirical evidence suggests that it may exacerbate both PTSS and pain. The present study aimed to longitudinally examine PTSS as a mediator in the relationship between peer victimization at baseline and pain-related outcomes at 3 months in youth with chronic pain. Participants included 182 youth aged 10-18 years recruited from a tertiary level children's hospital in Western Canada. At baseline, participants completed measures to assess pain (intensity and interference), peer victimization (relational and overt), and PTSS. Pain was re-assessed at 3-month follow-up. Primary hypotheses were tested utilizing a series of mediation analyses with PTSS as a proposed mediator in the associations between peer victimization and pain outcomes. Youth PTSS mediated the relationship between higher baseline relational victimization and higher 3-month pain interference, while controlling for baseline pain interference. Three-month pain intensity was not correlated with peer victimization; thus, pain intensity was not included in analyses. These findings reveal that PTSS may be an underlying factor in the co-occurrence of peer victimization and chronic pain in youth. Further research is needed to better understand the role of peer victimization in the maintenance of chronic pain to ensure appropriate, effective, and timely interventions that address the social and mental health issues impacting the lives of these youth as well as their pain. PERSPECTIVE: PTSS may be an underlying factor in the co-occurrence between peer victimization and chronic pain in youth, highlighting the need to assess for both peer relationship problems and PTSS in youth with chronic pain.

The Healthy Context Paradox Between Bullying and Emotional Adaptation: A Moderated Mediating Effect.

Introduction: Bullying is a significant concern for young people, with studies consistently showing a link between bullying and negative emotional consequences. However, the mechanisms that underlie this association remain unclear, particularly in terms of the classroom environment. This study aimed to explore the paradoxical phenomenon between bullying victimization and emotional adaptation among junior high school students in China, using the hypothesis of the healthy context paradox. Methods: The study involved 880 students (565 girls; Mage=14.69; SD=1.407 years), and data were collected using self-reported surveys. The findings of the study, utilizing multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) techniques, demonstrated a cross-level moderated effect of classroom-level bullying victimization on the relationship between individual bullying victimization and emotional adaptation. Results: Specifically, the results indicated that in classrooms with higher levels of victimization, the association between individual bullying victimization and increased depressive symptoms and State&Trait anxiety was more pronounced. These findings support the "Healthy context paradox" hypothesis in the Chinese context and provide insight into the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. Discussion: The results suggest that the classroom environment plays a crucial role in shaping the emotional consequences of bullying and that addressing classroom victimization is crucial for promoting emotional health among young people. By understanding the mechanisms that underlie the association between bullying and emotional consequences, interventions can be developed to target the underlying factors that contribute to this paradoxical phenomenon. Overall, the study provides new insights into the complex relationship between bullying and emotional health among young people, highlighting the importance of considering the classroom environment in addressing this issue.

Social Reactions to Disclosures of Multiple-Perpetrator Sexual Assault: Do Number of Offenders Matter?

Sexual assault (SA) victimization is a prevalent issue both in the U.S. and globally. Although SA victimization is usually perpetrated by a single-perpetrator, multiple-perpetrator sexual assaults (MPSAs) also occur. Unfortunately, there is less literature concerning MPSAs, including the well-being of survivors' post-assault. One factor that has been shown to be important in the well-being of SA survivors' post-assault are the social reactions survivors receive from others following disclosure. The current study sought to compare social reactions received by MPSA survivors to the social reactions received by single-perpetrator sexual assault (SPSA) survivors in a community sample of adult female SA survivors (N = 1,863). We examined "turning against" (TA) reactions, a type of negative social reaction in which the supporter expresses more overtly distressing reactions that focus blame on the victim. We also examined unsupportive acknowledgment reactions (UA) the second type of negative reaction in which survivors receive acknowledgment that the assault occurred but are not supported. Additionally, we examined differences in positive reactions that survivors received from their support systems. One-way Analysis of Variance showed statistically significant differences in social reactions to disclosure according to number of offenders in the SA, with MPSA survivors receiving more TA and UA negative reactions than SPSA survivors. There were no differences in positive reactions by number of offenders. Multiple regression analyses also revealed that several demographics, assault characteristics, and post-assault factors (total Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, coping, attributions of self-blame) were related to the social reactions received by MPSA survivors post-assault. Implications and recommendations for support providers are discussed.

The effects of cyberbullying victimization on cyberbullying perpetration among Chinese college students: callous-unemotional traits and the moderating role of Internet morality.

Introduction: The Internet has triggered a series of online deviant behaviors, and cyberbullying is one of them. Cyberbullying victimization as a category of frustration and the aggression triggered by it has been confirmed by many studies. Previous studies have explored the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and cyberbullying perpetration. However, the boundary conditions of the two have yet to be sufficiently explored, and this article will further explore the moderating effect in the transformation mechanism. Methods: The convenience sampling method was used to select a cumulative total of 668 students from university students of several universities in Beijing for the study, using questionnaires including Cyberbullying Victimization Questionnaire, Cyberbullying Perpetration Questionnaire, the Callous-unemotional Traits Scale, and Internet Morality Questionnaire. Results: (1) Controlling for gender and grade, cyberbullying victimization has a positive relationship with cyberbullying perpetration. (2) Callous-unemotional traits moderated the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and perpetration. (3) Internet morality can moderate the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and perpetration. (4) Callous-unemotional traits and Internet morality can co-regulate the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and perpetration. Conclusion: The results indicate that cyberbullying victimization had a significant positive relationship with cyberbullying perpetration, a process moderated by callous-unemotional traits and Internet morality.

Longitudinal relations between bullying victimization and aggression: The multiple mediation effects of anger rumination and hostile automatic thoughts.

Bullying victimization is widely accepted to be associated with aggression. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unknown. To examine the long-term impact of bullying victimization on aggression, the present study tested the potential mediating effects of both anger rumination and hostile automatic thoughts. A total of 809 undergraduates from four universities across China (74.80% female; Mage = 19.63 years, SD = 0.82 years) completed the survey on three occasions, with a 6-month delay between Time 1 and Time 2 and a 1-year interval between Time 2 and Time 3. A cross-lagged model of anger rumination and hostile automatic thoughts was developed to test whether they predicted one another, and two structural models were constructed to test their mediating roles in bullying victimization and aggression. Findings indicated that anger rumination and hostile automatic thoughts are mutually predictable; the correlation between bullying victimization and aggression is mediated independently by anger rumination and hostile automatic thoughts, and the chain mediation of bullying victimization predicting aggression first through anger rumination and then through hostile automatic thinking was established. In addition, an alternative mediation model is also significant, with hostile automatic thoughts as the primary mediator and anger rumination as the secondary mediator. These results highlight the significance of anger rumination and hostile automatic thoughts in the long-term effects of bullying victimization on aggression. Interventions designed to reduce undergraduate students' anger rumination and hostile automatic thoughts may help reduce their aggression.

Operational Definitions of Poly-Victimization: A Scoping Review.

Throughout the last two decades, research on poly-victimization (PV) has evolved from examinations of a core set of past-year victimization types in youth samples to investigations of a broad range of victimization types experienced during variable time intervals in diverse samples of varying ages. As the concept of PV expands, greater clarity regarding the definition and measurement of PV is needed to advance understanding of its risk and protective factors as well as its associated outcomes. This scoping review aimed to (a) identify approaches used to operationally define and measure PV across studies and (b) synthesize empirical findings concerning risk factors and outcomes associated with PV. A systematic search of peer-reviewed research published before 2022 across 12 databases yielded 98 studies that met inclusion criteria. Study characteristics including the research design, sample type, victimization timeframe, operational definition(s) of PV, measurement of PV, analytic methods, and key findings were synthesized across studies. Findings indicated that the majority of reviewed studies were cross-sectional investigations that utilized categorical measures of lifetime PV in samples of youth. Results also demonstrated that PV is robustly associated with a broad range of predictors, including mental health symptoms and diagnoses as well as family- and community-level factors. PV is also associated with numerous adverse outcomes including depression, anxiety, suicidality, substance use, and delinquency across diverse study types and populations. Future research that examines the conditional effects of PV is needed to identify subgroups of individuals at higher risk of adverse outcomes following PV and modifiable targets for interventions.

The Role of Gender and Sexuality in the Experience, Internalization, and Mental Health Correlates of Sexual Victimization Stigma.

The stigma associated with sexual victimization (SV) can add to the psychological burden on survivors. We compared experiences of SV and SV stigma by survivor gender and sexuality and evaluated the relevance of public and internalized sources of this stigma to their psychological functioning. An online survey containing measures of SV type (sexual harassment and assault), public SV stigma, internalized SV stigma (self-blame, self-shame, anticipated-shame), and psychological functioning (depression, anxiety, stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] symptomatology) was completed by 877 women and 211 men aged 18 to 66 years (M = 30.2, SD = 8.06), of whom 73.9% were heterosexual and 26.1% identified as a sexual minority (same-sex-attracted, bisexual, pansexual, or asexual). Sexual harassment and assault were more prevalent in women and sexual minority men. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) with age and SV frequency as covariates also revealed poorer psychological functioning in sexual minority men, and higher levels of SV stigma in sexual minority women and men. Multigroup path analyses further showed that exposure to public stigma was associated with poorer psychological functioning, that internalized stigma partly mediated these associations, and that the magnitude of the associations (particularly those involving self-shame and anticipated shame) was often greater in men and sexual minorities. The results add to our understanding of the role of gender and sexuality in the experience, internalization, and psychological impact of SV-related stigma on survivors. The results also highlight the need for societal shifts toward acknowledging and validating experiences of SV in men and sexual minorities, alongside women, and the development of intersectionality-informed interventions for SV stigma in survivors.

Peer Victimization and Adolescent Mental Health: School-level Victimization as a Moderator.

As a global issue, peer victimization is closely associated with adolescent mental health. Although previous research has explored the relationship between peer victimization and mental health in some contexts, the school context, particularly within the Chinese cultural context, has not received sufficient attention. Based on the Healthy Context Paradox, this study aimed to explore the moderating role of school-level victimization in the relationship between individual-level peer victimization and mental health. This study tested two hypotheses by using a multilevel design: higher individual-level and school-level peer victimization are associated with higher depressive symptoms and lower life satisfaction (Hypothesis 1); school-level victimization moderates the association between individual-level peer victimization and mental health (Hypothesis 2). Participants were 39,720 adolescents (50.41% females; Mage = 13.68, SD = 2.39) across 292 Chinese schools. They completed a set of questionnaires, including the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the single-item Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Peer Victimization Scale, and demographics. The multilevel model indicated that both individual-level and school-level peer victimization were positively correlated with depressive symptoms and negatively correlated with life satisfaction. In schools with lower levels of victimization, there was a stronger association between individual peer victimization and adolescent mental health. A potential explanation for these results might be the victimization visibility and perceived severity in different contexts. These findings extended the discussion of the Healthy Context Paradox within the Chinese school context and provided valuable insights for developing school support strategies for victimized adolescents. School management might play a significant role in affecting the mental health of victimized adolescents.