Parents’ Experiences of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among Adolescents and Young Adults

We assessed the impact of adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) on parents in two studies. In Study 1, 16 Australian parents of adolescents with a history of nonsuicidal self-injury responded to open-ended questions about their child’s nonsuicidal self-injury. Data from 10 of the adolescents were matched with parents’ responses regarding the nature and extent of nonsuicidal self-injury, revealing that parents underestimated the frequency of nonsuicidal self-injury, the age of onset, and the likelihood their child would continue to self-injure. In Study 2, 22 American parents of adolescents with a history of nonsuicidal self-injury participated in interviews about their experiences. Parents in both studies reported changes in the parent–adolescent relationship after self-injury, which posed challenges to the family unit. When professional help had been sought, experiences were largely negative. Results support further investigation into family-based interventions to equip parents with tools to better relate to, and communicate with, their adolescent following self-injury. Results also suggest that mental-health professionals and general practitioners may require further training for nonsuicidal self-injury.     

Aggression and peer victimization as predictors of self‐reported behavioral and emotional adjustment

The relative contributions of aggression and victimization to the prediction of self‐reported emotional and behavioral difficulties over and above self‐reported prior problems were investigated in a 1‐year longitudinal study. Fourth‐, fifth‐, and sixth‐graders (N = 471) completed peer nominations of aggression and victimization as well as self‐report measures of social, behavioral, and emotional problems at baseline and at 1‐year follow‐up. Peer aggression added to the prediction of externalizing problems, specifically, self‐report of aggression and delinquency. In contrast, victimization by peers contributed to self‐reported unpopularity but not depression. Victimization among girls was also predictive of subsequent self‐reported delinquency. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings, as well as future directions for research, are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 26:345–358, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Catching aggression from one's peers: A longitudinal and multilevel analysis

Exposure to peer aggression is a major risk factor for the development of aggressive behavior in childhood and adolescence. Furthermore, peer aggression has the propensity to spread and affect individuals who were not exposed to the original source of aggression. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that peer aggression is in many regards similar to a contagious disease. By presenting a program of research based on longitudinal and multilevel studies, we provide evidence for the contagious quality of aggressive behavior, show that individuals vary in their susceptibility to peer aggression, and describe group‐level characteristics that moderate the influence of peer aggression. We discuss mechanisms that may explain how individuals catch aggressive behavior from their peers and how the effects on the development of individuals' aggressive behavior unfold over time. Further, we examine processes that may increase the risk of being exposed to peers' aggressive behavior. We conclude with discussing implications for future studies on the contagious nature of peer aggression.     

Do Appearance Focused Cognitive Distortions Moderate the Relationship between Social Comparisons to Peers and Media Images and Body Image Disturbance?

The research questions addressed gender differences in the subjective appraisal of teens experiencing sexual harassment, and the psychosocial maturation of male and female teens appraising such events as threatening to their well-being. Using survey methodology, U.S. undergraduate women (n?=?316; 85% White Caucasian) and men (n?=?270; 85% White Caucasian) reported on their earliest formal work experiences (participants?? average age was M?=?19.03, SD?=?1.87). Results indicated that women, more than men, were more upset by, and were more likely to label an event as, sexual harassment. Results further demonstrated that men, particularly men who appraised harassment as bothersome and relied on behavioral coping, reported detriment to maturity outcomes of autonomy and social responsibility. Implications for a ??wimpy male?? hypothesis are discussed.     

Development and validation of the social information processing application: a Web-based measure of social information processing patterns in elementary school-age boys

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of an audio computer-assisted self-interviewing Web-based software application called the Social Information Processing Application (SIP-AP) that was designed to assess social information processing skills in boys in 3rd through 5th grades. This study included a racially and ethnically diverse sample of 244 boys ages 8 through 12 (M = 9.4) from public elementary schools in 3 states. The SIP-AP includes 8 videotaped vignettes, filmed from the first-person perspective, that depict common misunderstandings among boys. Each vignette shows a negative outcome for the victim and ambiguous intent on the part of the perpetrator. Boys responded to 16 Web-based questions representing the 5 social information processing mechanisms, after viewing each vignette. Parents and teachers completed measures assessing boys' antisocial behavior. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that a model positing the original 5 cognitive mechanisms fit the data well when the items representing prosocial cognitions were included on their own factor, creating a 6th factor. The internal consistencies for each of the 16 individual cognitions as well as for the 6 cognitive mechanism scales were excellent. Boys with elevated scores on 5 of the 6 cognitive mechanisms exhibited more antisocial behavior than boys whose scores were not elevated. These findings highlight the need for further research on the measurement of prosocial cognitions or cognitive strengths in boys in addition to assessing cognitive deficits. Findings suggest that the SIP-AP is a reliable and valid tool for use in future research of social information processing skills in boys.     

The frequency, nature, and effects of naturally occurring appearance-focused social comparisons

This research examined the effects of naturally occurring appearance-focused social comparisons on women's affect, body satisfaction, and weight-related cognitions. During their daily activities, women reporting body dissatisfaction (n=53) and women reporting body satisfaction (n=34) recorded their reactions to comparison information. Body-dissatisfied women engaged in more comparisons and a greater proportion of upward comparisons than body-satisfied women. Upward comparisons were associated with an increase in negative affect, body dissatisfaction, and thoughts of exercising for both groups; however, body-dissatisfied women experienced a greater increase in thoughts of dieting following upward comparisons. The daily effects of comparison information on body-dissatisfied women were examined; upward comparisons were associated with increases in daily negative affect, body dissatisfaction, and weight-related cognitions.     

Social body comparison and internalization: Mediators of social influences on men's muscularity-oriented body dissatisfaction

Research suggests that body dissatisfaction (BD) is prevalent among males and associated with unhealthy outcomes. Consistent with the well-validated Tripartite Influence Model, internalization of an ideal body figure and social body comparison have received support as predictors of men's dissatisfaction with their muscularity. However, empirical investigations with males that include both constructs are lacking. The current study examined the associations of both constructs with muscularity-oriented BD in a sample of college men (n = 204). Results from hierarchical regression analyses revealed that internalization and social body comparisons had unique relations with men's muscularity-oriented BD. A structural equation model indicated that both constructs mediated the relationship between social influences and muscularity BD. Preliminary data on targets of male body comparisons also were presented. These findings provide evidence for extension of the Tripartite Influence Model to males, particularly when constructs are assessed in ways that are reliable and valid for this population.