Predictive effects of social anxiety on increases in future peer victimization for a community sample of middle-school youth

Abstract

This longitudinal study focused on clarifying the direction of effects between social anxiety and victimization in a community-based sample. In addition, we studied the moderating effect of gender on this association. A total of 1,649 children (45% boys, approximately 12 years old) of 65 secondary-school classes participated in the study. Self-reports and peer nomination data of victimization as well as self-reports of social anxiety were gathered in the fall of Grade 1 (T1, wave one) and in the spring of Grade 1 (T2, wave 2). Latent multiple-group cross-lagged analyses were conducted. Results showed that higher social anxiety scores predicted incremental change in future peer- and self-reported victimization in boys, but not in girls, over and above the stability of victimization. Reverse cross-lagged effects of victimization predicting incremental change in future social anxiety, were not found. Although gender differences were significant, they were small.