Peer Victimization and Depression Symptoms: The Moderating Role of Gender Non-normative Aggression and School Transition

The purpose of the study was to test whether gender non-normative aggression and transition to high school moderated the relation between peer victimization and depression symptoms during late childhood and adolescence. Specifically, overt aggression was expected to moderate the relation between peer victimization and depression symptoms for girls and relational aggression was expected to moderate the same relation for girls and boys concurrently and longitudinally. Across time, transition was expected amplify the moderation effect of overt aggression for girls, while accounting for prior depression symptoms. This effect was expected to be stronger during the transition to high school. Transition was also expected to amplify the moderation of relational aggression on peer victimization and depression symptoms. The study consisted of 464 youth, ages 11–16 years with peer-reported peer victimization and aggression (i.e., overt aggression and relational aggression) and self-reported depression symptoms over two time points 1 year apart. Concurrently, overt aggression predicted depression symptoms and overt aggression moderated the association between peer victimization and depression symptoms for girls. For highly overtly aggressive girls, peer victimization predicted later depression symptoms when accounting for prior symptoms. This association was stronger for girls who transitioned than those who did not. Relational aggression was not found to be a moderator of peer victimization and depression symptoms for girls or boys. It may be wise for prevention and intervention efforts to focus on periods of demonstrated risk (e.g., transition to high school) and for those at risk for depression symptoms (e.g., overtly aggressive girls experiencing peer victimization).