Victimization Mediates the Longitudinal Association Between Depressive Symptoms and Violent Behaviors in Adolescence

Rongqin Yu; Susan Branje; Wim Meeus; Hans M. Koot; Pol van Lier; Seena Fazel

doi:10.1007/s10802-017-0325-2

Victimization Mediates the Longitudinal Association Between Depressive Symptoms and Violent Behaviors in Adolescence

Rongqin Yu
, Susan Branje
, Wim Meeus
, Hans M. Koot
, Pol van Lier
, Seena Fazel^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Despite evidence of a positive link between depressive symptoms and violent behaviors, the pathways underlying this longitudinal association remain unknown. Depressive symptoms might drive and reinforce victimization which in turn could increase risk of individuals becoming violent towards others. Thus, we tested whether victimization mediated the link between depressive symptoms and violent behaviors using a 6-year longitudinal study of a community sample of adolescents. The sample included 682 Dutch adolescents (54% boys) from an ongoing longitudinal study RADAR (Research on Adolescent Development and Relationships). From ages 13 to 18 years, depressive symptoms, victimization experiences, and violent behaviors were annually assessed. We conducted longitudinal mediation analyses to test pathways to violence in adolescents with depressive symptoms. Longitudinal analyses revealed that victimization mediated the association between depressive symptoms and violent behaviors from early to late adolescence. As part of this, we found that adolescents’ depressive symptoms predicted victimization, and this victimization increased risk of subsequent violent behaviors. In conclusion, links between depressive symptoms and violent behaviors are potentially important to understand adolescent development. Decreasing the occurence of victimization is likely to be an important target for the prevention of violent behaviors in adolescents with depressive symptoms.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	839-848
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
Volume	46
Issue number	4
Early online date	24 Jul 2017
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-017-0325-2
Publication status	Published - May 2018

Funding

Acknowledgements Data of the RADAR (Research on Adolescent Development And Relationships) study were used. RADAR has been financially supported by main grants from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (GB-MAGW 480-03-005, GB-MAGW 480-08-006), and Stichting Achmea Slachtoffer en Samenleving (SASS), a grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research to the Consortium Individual Development (CID; 024.001.003), and various other grants from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, the VU University Amsterdam, and Utrecht University. The first author of this study (R. Yu) is funded by a Rubicon Research Fellowship (Rubicon 446-15-002) from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). The last author of this study (S. Fazel) is funded by the Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowship (202836/Z/16/Z). The funders of this research had no role in the study design, analysis and interpretation of data, writing the report, or in the decision to submit the paper for publication.

Funders	Funder number
Stichting Achmea Slachtoffer en Samenleving
Senior Research Fellowship
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Wellcome Trust	202836/Z/16/Z, 202836
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek	GB-MAGW 480-03-005, GB-MAGW 480-08-006, 480-03-005
Consortium Individual Development	024.001.003
Universiteit Utrecht	446-15-002

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Keywords

Adolescence
Depression
Longitudinal mediation
Victimization
Violence

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10.1007/s10802-017-0325-2

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title = "Victimization Mediates the Longitudinal Association Between Depressive Symptoms and Violent Behaviors in Adolescence",

abstract = "Despite evidence of a positive link between depressive symptoms and violent behaviors, the pathways underlying this longitudinal association remain unknown. Depressive symptoms might drive and reinforce victimization which in turn could increase risk of individuals becoming violent towards others. Thus, we tested whether victimization mediated the link between depressive symptoms and violent behaviors using a 6-year longitudinal study of a community sample of adolescents. The sample included 682 Dutch adolescents (54\% boys) from an ongoing longitudinal study RADAR (Research on Adolescent Development and Relationships). From ages 13 to 18 years, depressive symptoms, victimization experiences, and violent behaviors were annually assessed. We conducted longitudinal mediation analyses to test pathways to violence in adolescents with depressive symptoms. Longitudinal analyses revealed that victimization mediated the association between depressive symptoms and violent behaviors from early to late adolescence. As part of this, we found that adolescents{\textquoteright} depressive symptoms predicted victimization, and this victimization increased risk of subsequent violent behaviors. In conclusion, links between depressive symptoms and violent behaviors are potentially important to understand adolescent development. Decreasing the occurence of victimization is likely to be an important target for the prevention of violent behaviors in adolescents with depressive symptoms.",

keywords = "Adolescence, Depression, Longitudinal mediation, Victimization, Violence",

author = "Rongqin Yu and Susan Branje and Wim Meeus and Koot, \{Hans M.\} and \{van Lier\}, Pol and Seena Fazel",

year = "2018",

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language = "English",

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AU - Yu, Rongqin

AU - Branje, Susan

AU - Meeus, Wim

AU - Koot, Hans M.

AU - van Lier, Pol

AU - Fazel, Seena

PY - 2018/5

Y1 - 2018/5

N2 - Despite evidence of a positive link between depressive symptoms and violent behaviors, the pathways underlying this longitudinal association remain unknown. Depressive symptoms might drive and reinforce victimization which in turn could increase risk of individuals becoming violent towards others. Thus, we tested whether victimization mediated the link between depressive symptoms and violent behaviors using a 6-year longitudinal study of a community sample of adolescents. The sample included 682 Dutch adolescents (54% boys) from an ongoing longitudinal study RADAR (Research on Adolescent Development and Relationships). From ages 13 to 18 years, depressive symptoms, victimization experiences, and violent behaviors were annually assessed. We conducted longitudinal mediation analyses to test pathways to violence in adolescents with depressive symptoms. Longitudinal analyses revealed that victimization mediated the association between depressive symptoms and violent behaviors from early to late adolescence. As part of this, we found that adolescents’ depressive symptoms predicted victimization, and this victimization increased risk of subsequent violent behaviors. In conclusion, links between depressive symptoms and violent behaviors are potentially important to understand adolescent development. Decreasing the occurence of victimization is likely to be an important target for the prevention of violent behaviors in adolescents with depressive symptoms.

AB - Despite evidence of a positive link between depressive symptoms and violent behaviors, the pathways underlying this longitudinal association remain unknown. Depressive symptoms might drive and reinforce victimization which in turn could increase risk of individuals becoming violent towards others. Thus, we tested whether victimization mediated the link between depressive symptoms and violent behaviors using a 6-year longitudinal study of a community sample of adolescents. The sample included 682 Dutch adolescents (54% boys) from an ongoing longitudinal study RADAR (Research on Adolescent Development and Relationships). From ages 13 to 18 years, depressive symptoms, victimization experiences, and violent behaviors were annually assessed. We conducted longitudinal mediation analyses to test pathways to violence in adolescents with depressive symptoms. Longitudinal analyses revealed that victimization mediated the association between depressive symptoms and violent behaviors from early to late adolescence. As part of this, we found that adolescents’ depressive symptoms predicted victimization, and this victimization increased risk of subsequent violent behaviors. In conclusion, links between depressive symptoms and violent behaviors are potentially important to understand adolescent development. Decreasing the occurence of victimization is likely to be an important target for the prevention of violent behaviors in adolescents with depressive symptoms.

KW - Adolescence

KW - Depression

KW - Longitudinal mediation

KW - Victimization

KW - Violence

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Victimization Mediates the Longitudinal Association Between Depressive Symptoms and Violent Behaviors in Adolescence

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

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