Peer Victimization

Peer victimization refers to being the target of aggression by peers. Two aspects of this definition merit attention. First, aggressive behavior includes behaviors that are either overt (e.g., hitting, taunting) or relational (e.g., excluding from groups or spreading gossip), and subsume behaviors popularly referred to as bullying. Second, the focus here involves the receipt of victimization from peers or similar-age individuals. Victimization from parents, siblings, or aspecific members of the community is not considered in this entry. Peer victimization has been found to be common among school children, but there is far less attention to similar experiences in adulthood. Peer victimization is associated with a variety of psychological, academic, social, and family factors. This entry provides a brief review of the research on the prevalence ...