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Depressive Symptoms Following Coping with Peer Aggression: The Moderating Role of Negative Emotionality

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Abstract

The way in which children cope with peer aggression may determine their subsequent adjustment, but different forms of coping may be more or less effective for particular children. This research examined whether the contribution of children’s coping to subsequent depressive symptoms was contingent on children’s temperament (i.e., level of negative emotionality; NE) and gender. Children (N = 235, 102 boys, 133 girls, M = 7.94 years, SD = 0.33) reported on exposure to peer victimization. Parents rated children’s NE and depressive symptoms, and teachers rated children’s coping. For girls with high NE, problem solving protected against depressive symptoms whereas seeking retaliation heightened risk for depressive symptoms. Advice seeking protected children with low NE against depressive symptoms whereas ignoring protected children with high NE against depressive symptoms. Humor predicted fewer depressive symptoms in boys with high NE but more depressive symptoms in boys with low NE. This research helps to elucidate individual differences in the effects of coping on adjustment, and has implications for interventions aimed at reducing risk resulting from exposure to peer aggression.

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Notes

  1. Analyses also were conducted using mean scores on the coping measure. The results were highly similar to the results using proportion scores. In these analyses, all of the significant two-way interactions remained significant (Bs > 0.06, ts ≥ 2.30, ps ≤ 0.023). In terms of 3-way interactions, the Retaliation x NE x Gender and Problem Solving x NE x Gender interactions remained significant or marginal (B = 0.07, t(226) = 2.57, p = 0.006 and B = −0.05, t(226) = −1.53, p = 0.064, respectively). Across all the analyses, the only difference was that the Humor x NE x Gender interaction, previously marginal, became nonsignificant (B = 0.04, t(226) = 0.98, p = 0.164).

  2. This was the case regardless of whether we used proportion scores or mean scores.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the families and schools who participated in this study. We are grateful to Jamie Abaied, Molly Bartlett, Sarah Kang, and Megan Flynn for their assistance in data collection and management. We are also grateful to Nicole Llewelyn and Jennifer Schmidt for provision of feedback on earlier drafts and to Daniel Berry for assistance in data analyses. This research was supported by a University of Illinois Arnold O. Beckman Award and National Institute of Mental Health Grant MH68444 awarded to Karen D. Rudolph.

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA

    Niwako Sugimura, Karen D. Rudolph & Anna M. Agoston

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  1. Niwako Sugimura
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Correspondence to Niwako Sugimura.

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Sugimura, N., Rudolph, K.D. & Agoston, A.M. Depressive Symptoms Following Coping with Peer Aggression: The Moderating Role of Negative Emotionality. J Abnorm Child Psychol 42, 563–575 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-013-9805-1

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