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The Best Friend and Friendship Group Influence on Adolescent Nonsuicidal Self-injury

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Abstract

This study examined associations of peer socialization and selection, over time, with nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among 5,787 (54.2 % females) Chinese community adolescents. Both effects were tested using two aspects of adolescents’ friendship networks: the best friend and the friendship group. Participants completed questionnaires assessing NSSI, depressive symptoms and maladaptive impulsive behaviors at two waves of time over a 6-month period. Results showed that even after controlling for the effects of depressive symptoms and maladaptive impulsive behaviors, the best friends’ engagement in NSSI still significantly predicted adolescents’ own engagement in NSSI. Adolescents’ friendship groups’ NSSI status also significantly predicted their own NSSI status and frequency. Additionally, adolescents with NSSI tended to join peer groups with other members also engaging in NSSI.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Studies of Psychological Application & School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China

    Jianing You

  2. Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei City, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Min Pei Lin

  3. Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Kei Fu & Freedom Leung

Authors
  1. Jianing You
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  2. Min Pei Lin
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  3. Kei Fu
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  4. Freedom Leung
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Correspondence to Jianing You.

Additional information

This research was supported in part by South China Normal University Young Teacher Research Cultivation Grant 2012KJ013 awarded to Dr. Jianing You.

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You, J., Lin, M., Fu, K. et al. The Best Friend and Friendship Group Influence on Adolescent Nonsuicidal Self-injury. J Abnorm Child Psychol 41, 993–1004 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-013-9734-z

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