Hostname: page-component-76c49bb84f-s7zp8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-07-04T12:48:36.408Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The roles of social withdrawal, peer rejection, and victimization by peers in predicting loneliness and depressed mood in childhood

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 March 2009

Michel Boivin ,
Shelley Hymel  and
William M. Bukowski
Michel Boivin*
Affiliation:
Université Laval, Research Unit on Children's Social Maladjustment
Shelley Hymel
Affiliation:
University of British Columbia
William M. Bukowski
Affiliation:
Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec
*
Michel Boivin, Ecole de Psychologie, Pavillon F.A. Savard, Université Laval, Ste-Foy, Québec, Canada, GIK7P4.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative contributions of social withdrawal, peer rejection, and victimization by peers in predicting feelings of loneliness and depressed mood over time. According to the proposed model, the feelings of loneliness associated with social withdrawal are mediated by the negative peer experiences (negative peer status and peer victimization) to which withdrawn children are exposed. In predicting depressed mood over time, it was further hypothesized that self-reported loneliness ultimately mediates the subsequent depressed mood associated with withdrawal and negative peer experiences. The study was conducted across 2 consecutive years (Time 1 and Time 2), with children each year nominating peers for peer status, social withdrawal, and victimization measures, and completing self-report measures of loneliness and depressed mood. Fourth- and fifth-grade children participated at Time 1, and children that remained in the same school were again evaluated at Time 2 (N = 567). A series of regression analyses indicated that the postulated sequence of mediations adequately represented the pattern of longitudinal associations between the variables, as well as their pattern of change over time. The contribution of social withdrawal to the prediction of subsequent loneliness was accounted for by the expected pattern of mediations of negative peer experiences. Self-reported loneliness ultimately mediated the subsequent depressed mood associated with withdrawal and negative peer experiences.

Information

Type
Articles
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 7 , Issue 4: Developmental Processes in Peer Relations and Psychopathology , Fall 1995 , pp. 765 - 785
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Asher, S. R., & Coie, J. D. (1990). Peer rejection in childhood. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Asher, S. R., Parkhurst, J. T., Hymel, S., & Williams, G. A. (1990). Peer rejection and loneliness in childhood. In Asher, S. R. and Coie, J. D. (Eds.), Peer rejection in childhood (pp. 253–273). New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Asher, S. R. & Wheeler, V. A. (1985). Children's loneliness: A comparison of rejected and neglected peer status. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53. 500–505.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderatormediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51. 6, 1173–1182.Google Scholar
Boivin, M., & Bégin, G. (1986). Temporal reliability and validity of three sociometric status assessments with young children. Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science, 18, 167–172.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boivin, M., & Bégin, G. (1989). Peer status and selfperception among early elementary school children: The case of the rejected children. Child Development, 60, 591–596.Google Scholar
Boivin, M., & Hymel, S. (forthcoming). Peer experiences and social self-perceptions: A two-stage mediational model. Manuscript submitted for publication.Google Scholar
Boivin, M., Poulin, F., & Vitaro, F. (1994). Depressed mood and peer rejection in childhood. Development and Psychopathology, 6, 483–498.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boivin, M., Thomassin, L., & Alain, M. (1989). Peer rejection and self-perceptions among early elementary school children: Aggressive rejectees versus withdrawn rejectees. In Schneider, B. H., Attili, G., Nadel, J., & Weissberg, R. P. (Eds.), Social competence in developmental perspective (pp. 392–393). Boston, MA: Kluwer.Google Scholar
Carey, M. P., Gresham, F. M., Ruggiero, L., Faulstich, M. E., & Enyart, P. (1987). Children's Depression Inventory: Construct and discriminant validity across clinical and nonreferred (control) populations. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 755–761.Google Scholar
Cillessen, A. H. N., van Ijzendoorn, H. W., van Lieshout, C. F. M., & Hartup, W. W. (1992). Heterogeneity among peer-rejected boys: Subtypes and stabilities. Child Development, 63. 893–905.Google Scholar
Cohen, J., & Cohen, P. (1983). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Coie, J. D., & Dodge, K. A. (1983). Continuities and changes in children's social status: A five-year longitudinal study. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 29, 261–281.Google Scholar
Coie, J. D., Lochman, J. E., Terry, R., & Hyman, C. (1992). Predicting early adolescent disorder from childhood aggression and peer rejection. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60, 783–792.Google Scholar
Crick, N. R., & Ladd, G. W. (1993). Children's perceptions of their peer experiences: Attributions, loneliness, social anxiety, and social avoidance. Developmental Psychology, 29, 244–254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
French, D. C. (1988). Heterogeneity of peer-rejected boys: Aggressive and non-aggressive types. Child Development, 59, 976–985.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
French, D. C. (1990). Heterogeneity of peer rejected girls. Child Development, 61. 2028–2031.Google Scholar
Harrington, R. G. (1984). Assessing childhood anxiety and depression for effective clinical and psychoeducational assessments (pp. 161–184). Kansas City: Test Corporation of America.Google Scholar
Hymel, S., Bowker, A., & Woody, E. (1993). Aggressive versus withdrawn unpopular children: Variations in peer, teacher and self perceptions in multiple domains. Child Development, 64, 879–896.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hymel, S., & Franke, S. (1985). Children's peer relations: Assessing self-perceptions. In Schneider, B. H., Rubin, K. H., & Ledingham, J. E. (Eds.), Children's peer relations: Issues in assessment and intervention (pp. 75–91). New York: Springer-Verlag.Google Scholar
Hymel, S., Rubin, K. H., Rowden, L., & LeMare, L. (1990). Children's peer relationships: Longitudinal prediction of internalizing and externalizing problems from middle to late childhood. Child Development, 61, 2004–2021.Google Scholar
Hymel, S., Woody, E. Z., Ditner, E., & LeMare, L. (1988, 05). Children's self-perceptions in different domains: Are children consistent across measures, and do they see what others see? Paper presented at the Biennial University of Waterloo Conference on Child Development, Waterloo, Ontario.Google Scholar
Kovacs, M. (1983). The Children's Depression Inventory: A self-rated depression scale for school-aged youngsters. Unpublished manuscript. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.Google Scholar
Kovacs, M. (1985). The Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 995–998.Google ScholarPubMed
Ladd, G. W., & Crick, N. R. (1989). Probing the psychological environment: Children's cognitions, perceptions and feelings in the peer culture. In Ames, C. & Maehr, M. (Eds.), Advances in motivation and achievement: Motivation enhancing environments (Vol. 6, pp. 1–44). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.Google Scholar
Masten, A., Morison, P., & Pelligrini, D. (1985). A revised class play method of peer assessment. Developmental Psychology, 21, 523–533.Google Scholar
Panak, W. F., & Garber, J. (1992). Role of aggression, rejection and attributions in the prediction of depression in children. Development and Psychopathology, 4, 145–165.Google Scholar
Parker, J. G., & Asher, S. R. (1987). Peer relations and later personal adjustment: Are low-accepted children at risk. Psychological Bulletin, 102, 289–357.Google Scholar
Parkhurst, J. T., & Asher, S. R. (1992). Peer rejection in middle school: Subgroup differences in behavior, loneliness, and interpersonal concerns. Developmental Psychology, 28, 2, 231–241.Google Scholar
Patterson, G. J., Kupersmidt, J. B., & Griesler, P. C. (1990). Children's perceptions of self and of relations with others as a function of sociometric status. Child Development, 61, 1335–1349.Google Scholar
Perry, G. D., Kusel, S. J., & Perry, L. L. (1988). Victims of peer aggression. Developmental Psychology, 24, 807–814.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pope, A. W., Bierman, K. L., & Mumma, G. H. (1991). Aggression, hyperactivity, and inattentionimmaturity: Behavior dimensions associated with peer rejection in elementary school boys. Developmental Psychology, 27, 661–671.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Renshaw, P. D., & Brown, P. J. (1993). Loneliness in middle childhood: Concurrent and longitudinal predictors. Child Development, 64, 1271–1284.Google Scholar
Rubin, K. H., & Asendorpf, J. B. (1993). Social withdrawal, inhibition, and shyness in childhood: Perceptional and definitional issues. In Rubin, K. H. & Asendorpf, J. B. (Eds.), Social withdrawal, inhibition, and shyness in childhood (pp. 3–17). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Rubin, K. H., Hymel, S., LeMare, L., & Rowden, L. (1989). Children experiencing social difficulties: Sociometric neglect reconsidered. Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science, 21, 94–111.Google Scholar
Rubin, K. H., LeMare, L., & Lollis, S. (1990). Social withdrawal in childhood: Developmental pathways to peer rejection. In Asher, S. R. and Coie, J. D. (Eds.), Peer rejection in childhood (pp. 217–252). New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Rubin, K. H., & Mills, R. (1988). The many faces of isolation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 6, 916–924.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saylor, C. F., Finch, A. J., Furey, W., Baskin, C. H., & Kelly, M. M. (1984). Construct validity for measures of childhood depression: Application of multitrait-multimethod methodology. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 52, 977–985.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Volling, B. L., MacKinnon-Lewis, C., Rabiner, D., & Baradaran, L. P. (1993). Children's social competence and sociometric status: Further exploration of aggression, social withdrawal and peer rejection. Development and Psychopathology, 5, 459–483.Google Scholar
Williams, G. A., & Asher, S. R. (1987). Peer and selfperceptions of peer rejected children: Issues in classification and subgrouping. Paper presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Baltimore, MD.Google Scholar
Younger, A. J., & Boyko, K. A. (1987). Aggression and withdrawal as social schemas underlying children's peer perceptions. Child Development, 58, 1094–1100.Google Scholar
Younger, A. J., Gentile, C., & Burgess, K. (1993). Children's perceptions of social withdrawal: Changes across age. In Rubin, K. H. & Asendorpf, J. B. (Eds.), Social withdrawal, inhibition and shyness in childhood (pp. 291–314). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Younger, A., & Daniels, T. (1992). Childrens' peer nominations for withdrawal: What are the reasons for their choices? Developmental Psychology, 28, 5, 955–960.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zakriski, A., & Jacobs, M. R. (1995, 04). A process analysis of rejection awareness in late elementary school children. Paper presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Indianapolis, IN.Google Scholar