Relations Among Multiple Types of Peer Victimization, Reactivity to Peer Victimization, and Academic Achievement in Fifth-Grade Boys and Girls

Abstract

This study examined the relations between multiple types of peer victimization, affective reactivity to victimization, and academic achievement. Participants (179 fifth-grade boys and girls) completed repeated daily measures of peer victimization and negative affect; a standardized measure of achievement was collected concurrently. The daily measure of peer victimization was best represented by five factors: physical victimization, verbal victimization, social manipulation, property attacks, and social rebuff. While controlling for race/ethnicity, children's reports of being socially manipulated by peers were negatively related to their overall achievement. In addition, affective reactivity to social manipulation negatively related to achievement while accounting for reported experiences of social manipulation. No other victimization or reactivity variables related to achievement. Findings are discussed with a focus on implications for school bullying prevention and intervention.