Research Article
Peer victimization in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Judith Wiener,
Meghan Mak,
Corresponding Author
Judith Wiener
Department of Human Development and Applied Psychology, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto
Department of Human Development and Applied Psychology, OISE/University of Toronto, 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5S IV6, CanadaSearch for more papers by this authorJudith Wiener,
Meghan Mak,
Corresponding Author
Judith Wiener
Department of Human Development and Applied Psychology, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto
Department of Human Development and Applied Psychology, OISE/University of Toronto, 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5S IV6, CanadaSearch for more papers by this authorAbstract
This study explored peer victimization in 9- to 14-year-old children with and without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The sample comprised 104 children, 52 of whom had a previous ADHD diagnosis. Children with ADHD had higher overall rates of self-reported victimization by peers and parent- and teacher-reported bullying behavior than did children without ADHD. The rates of victimization were especially high for girls with ADHD. Furthermore, children with ADHD reported higher frequencies of verbal, physical, and relational victimization than did children without ADHD. When data were pooled from children, parents, and teachers, children with ADHD were categorized as victims, bullies, and bully/victims significantly more often than were children without ADHD. Parent ratings of ADHD symptoms predicted self-reported victimization by peers. Neither parent-rated anxious-shy behaviors nor parent- and teacher-rated social skills predicted victimization by peers over and above ADHD symptoms. Parent ratings of oppositional behavior mediated the relationship between ADHD symptoms and parent- and teacher-rated bullying. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
REFERENCES
- American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders ( 4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
- Angold, A., Costello, E., & Erkanli, A. (1999). Comorbidity. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 40, 57–88.
- Arnold, L. E. (1996). Sex differences in ADHD: Conference summary. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 24, 555–569.
- Bagwell, C. L., Molina, B. S. G., Pelham, W. E., & Hoza, B. (2001). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and problems in peer relations: Predictions from childhood to adolescence. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 40, 1285–1292.
- Barkley, R. A. (2006). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment ( 3rd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
- Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173–1182.
- Berry, C. A., Shaywitz, S. E., & Shaywitz, B. A. (1985). Girls with attention deficit disorder: A silent majority? A report on behavioral and cognitive characteristics. Pediatrics, 76, 801–809.
- Blachman, D. R., & Hinshaw, S. P. (2002). Patterns of friendship among girls with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 30, 625–640.
- Boer-Hersh, M. (2002). Peer victimization and adjustment. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Toronto, Toronto.
- Boivin, M., Hymel, S., & Bukowski, W. M. (1995). The roles of social withdrawal, peer rejection, and victimization by peers in predicting loneliness and depressed mood in children. Development and Psychopathology, 7, 765–786.
- Champion, K., Vernberg, E., & Shipman, K. (2003). Nonbullying victims of bullies: Aggression, social skills, and friendship characteristics. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 24, 535–551.
- Conners, C. K. (1997). Conners' Rating Scales-Revised: Technical Manual. Multi-Health Systems, Inc.: Toronto.
- Coolidge, F. L., DenBoer, J. W., & Segal, D. L. (2002). Personality and neuropsychological correlates of bullying behavior. Personality and Individual Differences, 36, 1559–1569.
- Craig, W. (1998). The relationship among bullying, victimization, depression, anxiety, and aggression in elementary school children. Personality and Individual Differences, 24, 123–130.
- Craig, W., & Pepler, D. (1997). Observations of bullying and victimization on the schoolyard. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 2, 41–60.
- Craig, W., & Pepler, D. (2007). Understanding bullying: From research to practice. Canadian Psychology, 48, 86–93.
- Craig, W., Pepler, D., Connolly, J., & Henderson, K. (2001). Developmental context of peer harassment in early adolescence: The role of puberty and the peer group. In J. Juvonen & S. Graham (Eds.), Peer harassment in school (pp. 242–262). New York: The Guilford Press.
- Crick, N. R. (1995). Relational aggression: The role of intent, attributions, feelings of distress, and provocation type. Development and Psychopathology, 7, 313–332.
- Cunningham, C., Cunningham, L. J., Martorelli, V., Tran, A., Young, J., & Zacharias, R. (1998). The effects of primary division, student-mediated conflict resolution programs on playground aggression. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 39, 653–662.
- DeRosier, M. E. (2004). Building friendships and combating bullying: Effectiveness of a school-based social skills group intervention. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 33(1), 196–201.
- DeRosier, M. E., & Marcus, S. R. (2005). Building friendships and combating bullying: Effectiveness of S.S.GRIN at one-year follow-up. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 34, 140–150.
-
Espelage, D.,
Mebane, S. E., &
Swearer, S. M.
(2004).
Gender differences in bullying: Moving beyond mean level differences. In
D. L. Espelage &
S. M. Swearer (Eds.),
Bullying in American schools: A social-ecological perspective on prevention and intervention
(pp. 15–35).
Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
10.4324/9781410609700 Google Scholar
- Fox, C. L., & Boulton, M. J. (2005). The social skills problems of victims of bullying: Self, peer and teacher perceptions. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 75, 313–328.
- Fox, C. L., & Boulton, M. J. (2006a). Friendship as a moderator of the relationship between social skills problems and peer victimization. Aggressive Behavior, 32, 110–121.
- Fox, C. L., & Boulton, M. J. (2006b). Longitudinal associations between submissive/nonassertive social behavior and different types of peer victimization. Violence and Victims, 21, 383–400.
- Gaub, M., & Carlson, C. L. (1997). Gender differences in ADHD: A meta-analysis and critical review. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 1036–1045.
- Gresham, F., MacMillan, D. L., Bocian, K. M., Ward, S. L., & Forness, S. R. (1998). Comorbidity of hyperactivity-impulsivity and conduct problems: Risk factors in social, affective, and academic domains. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 26, 393–406.
- Gresham, F. M., & Elliott, S. N. (1990). Social Skills Rating System manual. American Guidance Service Inc.: Circle Pines, MN.
- Gresham, F.M., & MacMillan, D. L. (1997). Social competence and affective characteristics of students with mild disabilities. Review of Educational Research, 67, 377–415.
- Hinshaw, S. P. (2002). Preadolescent girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: 1. Background characteristics, comorbidity, cognitive and social functioning, and parenting practices. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 70, 1086–1098.
- Hodgens, B. J., Cole, J., & Boldizar, J. (2000). Peer-based differences among boys with ADHD. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 29, 443–452.
- Hodges, V. E., & Perry, D. G. (1999). Personal and interpersonal antecedents and consequences of victimization by peers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76, 677–685.
- Hoza, B., Gerdes, A. C., Mrug, S., Hinshaw, S. P., Bukowski, W. M., Gold, J. A. et al. (2005). Peer-assessed outcomes in the multimodal treatment study of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. 34, 74–86.
- Hoza, B., Pelham, W., Milich, R., Pillow, D., & McBride, K. (1993). The self-perceptions and attributions of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 17, 109–125.
- Hoza, B., Pelham, W. E., Dobbs, J., Owens, J. S., & Pillow, D. R. (2002). Do boys with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder have positive illusory self-concepts? Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 111, 268–278.
- Juvonen, J., Nishina, A., & Graham, S. (2001). Self-views versus peer perceptions of victim status among early adolescents. In J. Juvonen & S. Graham (Eds.), Peer harassment in school (pp. 105–124). New York: The Guilford Press.
- Kochenderfer, B. J., & Ladd, G. W. (1997). Victimized children's responses to peers' aggression: Behaviors associated with reduced versus continued victimization. Development and Psychopathology, 9, 59–73.
- Kumpulainen, K., Rasanen, E., Henttonen, I., Almqvist, F., Kresanov, K., Linna, S. L., et al. (1998). Bullying and psychiatric symptoms among elementary school-age children. Child Abuse and Neglect, 22, 705–717.
- Ladd, G. W., Kochenderfer, B. J., & Coleman, C. C. (1997). Classroom peer acceptance, friendship, and victimization: Distinct relational systems that contribute to children's school adjustment? Child Development, 68, 1181–1197.
- Lochman, J. E. (1987). Self- and peer-perceptions and attributional biases of aggressive and nonaggressive boys in dyadic interactions. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 404–410.
- Milich, R., & Dodge, K.A. (1984). Social information processing in child psychiatric populations. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 12, 471–489.
- National Center for Educational Statistics. (1995, October). Student victimization in schools. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
- Olweus, D. (1978). Aggression in schools: Bullies and whipping boys. Washington, DC: Hemisphere (Wiley).
- Olweus, D. (1991). Bully/victim problems among schoolchildren: Some basic facts and effects of a school-based intervention program. In D. Pepler & K. Rubin (Eds.), The development and treatment of childhood aggression (pp. 411–448). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
- Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at school: What we know and what we can do. Oxford, UK: Blackwell.
- Olweus, D. (1995). Bullying or peer abuse at school: Facts and intervention. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 4, 196–200.
- Olweus, D. (2001). Peer harassment: A critical analysis and some important issues. In J. Juvonen & S. Graham (Eds.), Peer harassment in school (pp. 3–20). New York: The Guilford Press.
- Pellegrini, A. D. (2001). Sampling instances of victimization in middle school: A methodological comparison. In J. Juvonen & S. Graham (Eds.), Peer harassment in school (pp. 125–146). New York: The Guilford Press.
- Pellegrini, A. D., & Bartini, M. (2000). An empirical comparison of sampling aggression and victimization in school settings. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92, 360–366.
- Pellegrini, A. D., Bartini, M., & Brooks, F. (1999). School bullies, victims, and aggressive victims: Factors relating to group affiliation and victimization in early adolescence. Journal of Educational Psychology, 91, 165–176.
- Pepler, D. J. (2006). Bullying interventions: A binocular perspective. Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 15, 16–20.
- Perry, D. G., Hodges, V. E., & Egan, S. K. (2001). Determinants of chronic victimization by peers: A review and new model of family influence. In J. Juvonen & S. Graham (Eds.), Peer harassment in school (pp. 73–104). New York: The Guilford Press.
- Rigby, K. (1994). Psychosocial functioning in families of Australian adolescent school children involved in bully/victim problems. Journal of Family Therapy, 16, 173–187.
- Rigby, K. (1998). The relationship between reported health and involvement in bully/victim problems among male and female secondary schoolchildren. Journal of Health Psychology, 3, 465–476.
- Rucklidge, J. J., & Tannock, R. (2001). Psychiatric, psychosocial, and cognitive functioning of female adolescents with ADHD. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 45, 530–540.
-
Salmon, G.,
James, A.,
Cassidy, E. L., &
Javaloyes, M A.
(2000).
Bullying, a review: Presentations to an adolescent psychiatric service and within a school for emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children.
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry,
5,
563–579.
10.1177/1359104500005004010 Google Scholar
- Schwartz, D. (2000). Subtypes of victims and aggressors in children's peer groups. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 28, 181–192.
- Schwartz, D., McFayden-Ketchum, S. A., Dodge, K. A., Pettit, G. S., & Bates, J. E. (1998). Peer group victimization as a predictor of children's behavior problems at home and in school. Development and Psychopathology, 10, 87–99.
-
Shea, B., &
Wiener, J. R.
(2003).
Social exile: The cycle of peer victimization for children with ADHD.
Canadian Journal of School Psychology,
18,
55–91.
10.1177/082957350301800104 Google Scholar
- Stormont, M. (2001). Social outcomes of children with AD/HD: Contributing factors and implications for practice. Psychology in the Schools, 38, 521–531.
- Swearer, S., & Espelage, D. L. (2004). Introduction: A social-ecological framework of bullying among youth. In D. L. Espelage & S. M. Swearer (Eds.), Bullying in American schools: A social-ecological perspective on prevention and intervention (pp. 1–12). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
- Swearer, S., Grills, A. E., Haye, K. M., & Tam Cary, P. (2004). Internalizing problems in students involved in bulling and victimization: Implications for intervention. In D. L. Espelage & S. M. Swearer (Eds.), Bullying in American schools: A social-ecological perspective on prevention and intervention (pp. 63–84). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
- Szatmari, P., Boyle, M., & Offord, D. R. (1989). ADDH and conduct disorder: Degree of diagnostic overlap and differences among correlates. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 30, 219–230.
- Tabachnick, B., & Fidell, L. S. (2007). Using multivariate statistics ( 5th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
- Tannock, R. (2000). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with anxiety disorders. In T. E. Brown (Ed.), Attention-deficit disorders and comorbidities in children, adolescents, and adults (pp. 125–170). Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Publishing.
- Thapar, A., van den Bree, M., Fowler, T., Langley, K., & Whittinger, N. (2006). Predictors of antisocial behavior in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 15, 118–125.
- Tremblay, R. E., Boulerice, B., Haren, P. W., McDuff, P., Perusse, D., Pihl, R. O., et al. (1995). Do children in Canada become more aggressive as they approach adolescence? In Human Resources and Development Canada (Ed.), Growing up in Canada: National longitudinal survey of children and youth (pp. 127–138). Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
- Unnever, J. D., & Cornell, D. G. (2003). Bullying, self-control and ADHD. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 18, 129–147.
- Wechsler, D. (1986). Manual for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children -- Third Edition (WISC-III). San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.
- Wechsler, D. (1999). Manual for the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI). San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.
