Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-dnltx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T16:18:44.227Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Self-perception but not peer reputation of bullying victimization is associated with non-clinical psychotic experiences in adolescents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 August 2012

P. M. Gromann ,
F. A. Goossens ,
T. Olthof ,
J. Pronk  and
L. Krabbendam
P. M. Gromann
Affiliation:
Department of Educational Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Education, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands
F. A. Goossens
Affiliation:
Department of Educational Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Education, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands
T. Olthof
Affiliation:
Department of Developmental Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands
J. Pronk
Affiliation:
Department of Educational Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Education, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands
L. Krabbendam*
Affiliation:
Department of Educational Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Education, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr L. Krabbendam, Center for Brain and Learning, Faculty of Psychology and Education, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. (Email: lydia.krabbendam@vu.nl)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Bullying victimization may be linked to psychosis but only self-report measures of victimization have been used so far. This study aimed (a) to investigate the differential associations of peer-nominated versus self-reported victim status with non-clinical psychotic experiences in a sample of young adolescents, and (b) to examine whether different types of self-reported victimization predict non-clinical psychotic experiences in these adolescents.

Method

A combination of standard self-report and peer nomination procedures was used to assess victimization. The sample (n = 724) was divided into four groups (exclusively self-reported victims, self- and peer-reported victims, exclusively peer-reported victims, and non-victims) to test for a group effect on non-clinical psychotic experiences. The relationship between types of victimization and non-clinical psychotic experiences was examined by a regression analysis.

Results

Self-reported victims, along with self- and peer-reported victims, scored higher than peer-reported victims and non-victims on non-clinical psychotic experiences. Self-reports of direct relational, indirect relational and physical victimization significantly improved the prediction of non-clinical psychotic experiences whereas verbal and possession-directed victimization had no significant predictive value.

Conclusions

The relationship between victimization and non-clinical psychotic experiences is only present for self-reported victimization, possibly indicative of an interpretation bias. The observed discrepancy between self-report and peer-report highlights the importance of implementing a combination of both measures for future research.

Keywords

Adolescentsbullying victimizationpeer nominationpsychosisself-report
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 43 , Issue 4 , April 2013 , pp. 781 - 787
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arseneault, L, Bowes, L, Shakoor, S (2010). Bullying victimization in youths and mental health problems: much ado about nothing? Psychological Medicine 40, 717–729.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Atlas, RS, Pepler, DJ (1998). Observations of bullying in the classroom. Journal of Educational Research 92, 86–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barker, ED, Arseneault, L, Brendgen, M, Fontaine, N, Maughan, B (2008). Joint development of bullying and victimization in adolescence: relation to delinquency and self-harm. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 47, 1030–1038.Google ScholarPubMed
Binbay, T, Drukker, M, Elbi, H, Aksu Tanik, F, Ozkinay, F, Onay, H, Zagli, N, van Os, J, Alptekin, K (2011). Testing the psychosis continuum: differential impact of genetic and nongenetic risk factors and comorbid psychopathology across the entire spectrum of psychosis. Schizophrenia Bulletin. Published online 27 April 2011. doi:10.1093/schbul/sbr003.Google ScholarPubMed
Birchwood, M, Gilbert, P, Gilbert, J, Trower, P, Meaden, A, Hay, J, Murray, E, Miles, JN (2004). Interpersonal and role-related schema influence the relationship with the dominant ‘voice’ in schizophrenia: a comparison of three models. Psychological Medicine 34, 1571–1580.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Campbell, MLC, Morrison, AP (2007). The relationship between bullying, psychotic-like experiences and appraisals in 14–16 year olds. Behaviour Research and Therapy 45, 1579–1591.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cougnard, A, Marcelis, M, Myin-Germeys, I, de Graaf, R, Vollebergh, W, Krabbendam, L, Lieb, R, Wittchen, H-U, Henquet, C, Spauwen, J, van Os, J (2007). Does normal developmental expression of psychosis combine with environmental risk to cause persistence of psychosis? A psychosis proneness-persistence model. Psychological Medicine 37, 513–527.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dill, DL, Chu, JA, Grob, MC, Eisen, SV (1991). The reliability of abuse history reports: a comparison of two inquiry formats. Comprehensive Psychiatry 32, 166–169.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fekkes, M, Pijpers, FIM, Fredriks, AM, Vogels, T, Verloove-Vanhorick, SP (2006). Do bullied children get ill or do ill children get bullied? A prospective cohort study on the relationship between bullying and health related symptoms. Pediatrics 117, 1568–1574.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goossens, FA, Olthof, T, Dekker, PH (2006). The new Participant Role Scales: comparison between various criteria for assigning roles and indications for their validity. Aggressive Behavior 32, 343–357.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gromann, PM, Goossens, F, Krabbendam, L (2011). Comments on ‘Bullying victimization in youths and mental health problems: much ado about nothing?’. Psychological Medicine 41, 2236–2237.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hawker, DS, Boulton, MJ (2000). Twenty years' research on peer victimization and psychosocial maladjustment: a meta-analytic review of cross-sectional studies. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 41, 441–455.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Herba, CM, Ferdinand, RF, Stijnen, T (2008). Victimization and suicide ideation in the TRAILS study: specific vulnerabilities of victims. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 49, 867–876.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Huxley, P, Thornicroft, G (2003). Social inclusion, social quality and mental illness. British Journal of Psychiatry 182, 289–290.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johns, LC, van Os, J (2001). The continuity of psychotic experiences in the general population. Clinical Psychology Review 21, 1125–1141.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Juvonen, J, Nishina, A, Graham, S (2001). Self-views versus peer perception of victim status among early adolescents. In Peer Harassment in School: The Plight of the Vulnerable and Victimized (ed. Juvonen, J. and Graham, S.), pp. 105–124. Guilford Press: New York.Google Scholar
Kapur, S (2003). Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry 160, 13–23.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kelleher, I, Harley, M, Lynch, F, Arsenault, L, Fitzpatrick, C, Cannon, M (2008). Associations between childhood trauma, bullying and psychotic symptoms among a school-based adolescent sample. British Journal of Psychiatry 193, 378–382.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Klomek, AB, Sourander, A, Niemela, S, Kumpulainen, K, Piha, J, Tamminen, T, Almqvist, F, Gould, MS (2009). Childhood bullying behaviors as a risk for suicide attempts and completed suicides: a population-based birth cohort study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 48, 254–261.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Krabbendam, L, Myin-Germeys, I, de Graaf, R (2004). Dimensions of depression, mania and psychosis in the general population. Psychological Medicine 34, 1177–1186.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Krabbendam, L, Myin-Germeys, I, Hanssen, M, van Os, J (2005). Familial covariation of the subclinical psychosis phenotype and verbal fluency in the general population. Schizophrenia Research 74, 37–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lataster, T, van Os, J, Drukker, M, Henquet, C, Feron, F, Gunther, N, Myin-Germeys, I (2006). Childhood victimisation and developmental expression of non-clinical delusional ideation and hallucinatory experiences. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 41, 423–428.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Olthof, T, Goossens, FA, Vermande, MM, van der Meulen, M, Aleva, EA (2011). Bullying as strategic behavior: relations with desired and acquired dominance in the peer group. Journal of School Psychology 49, 339–359.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Olweus, D (1996). The Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire for Students. University of Bergen: Bergen, Norway.Google Scholar
Olweus, D (2010). Understanding and researching bullying: some critical issues. In Handbook of Bullying in Schools: An International Perspective (ed. Jimerson, S. R., Swearer, S. M. and Espelage, D. L.), pp. 9–33. Routledge: New York.Google Scholar
Pellegrini, AD (2001). Sampling instances of victimization in middle school: a methodological comparison. In Peer Harassment in School: The Plight of the Vulnerable and Victimized (ed. Juvonen, J. and Graham, S.), pp. 125–144. Guilford Press: New York.Google Scholar
Poulton, R, Caspi, A, Moffit, TE, Cannon, M, Murray, R, Harrington, H (2000). Children's self-reported psychotic symptoms and adult schizophreniform disorder: a 15-year longitudinal study. Archives of General Psychiatry 57, 1053–1058.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Read, J (1997). Child abuse and psychosis: a literature review and implications for professional practice. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 28, 448–456.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reijntjes, A, Kamphuis, JH, Prinzie, P, Telch, MJ (2010). Peer victimization and internalizing problems in children: a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Child Abuse and Neglect 34, 244–252.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schreier, A, Wolke, D, Thomas, K, Horwood, J, Hollis, C, Gunnell, D, Lewis, G, Thompson, A, Zammit, S, Duffy, L, Salvi, G, Harrison, G (2009). Prospective study of peer victimization in childhood and psychotic symptoms in a nonclinical population at age 12 years. Archives of General Psychiatry 66, 527–536.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shaffer, D, Fisher, P, Lucas, CP, Dulcan, MK, Schwab-Stone, ME (2000). NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version IV (NIMH DISC-IV): description, differences from previous versions, and reliability of some common diagnoses. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 39, 28–38.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Simons, CJ, Jacobs, N, Jolles, J, van Os, J, Krabbendam, L (2007). Subclinical psychotic experiences and cognitive functioning as a bivariate phenotype for genetic studies in the general population. Schizophrenia Research 92, 24–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stefanis, NC, Hanssen, M, Smirnis, NK, Avramopoulos, DA, Evdokimidis, IK, Stefanis, CN, Verdoux, H, van Os, J (2002). Evidence that three dimensions of psychosis have a distribution in the general population. Psychological Medicine 32, 347–358.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
van Os, J, Hanssen, M, Bak, M, Bijl, RV, Vollebergh, W (2003). Do urbanicity and familial liability coparticipate in causing psychosis? American Journal of Psychiatry 160, 477–482.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
van Os, J, Pedersen, CB, Mortensen, PB (2004). Confirmation of synergy between urbanicity and familial liability in the causation of psychosis. American Journal of Psychiatry 161, 2312–2314.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Walker, EF, Di Forio, D (1997). Schizophrenia: a neural diathesis stress model. Psychological Review 104, 667–685.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wicks, S, Hjern, A, Gunnell, D, Lewis, G, Dalman, C (2005). Social adversity in childhood and the risk of developing psychosis: a national cohort study. American Journal of Psychiatry 162, 1652–1657.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed