Which Children are Frequently Victimized in US Elementary Schools? Population-Based Estimates

• Published in: School mental health 2022-12, Vol.14 (4), p.1011-1023
• Main Authors: Morgan, Paul L., Woods, Adrienne D., Wang, Yangyang, Farkas, George, Oh, Yoonkyung, Hillemeier, Marianne M., Mitchell, Cynthia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Adjustment; Aggression; Antisocial Behavior; At Risk Persons; At Risk Students; Behavior; Behavior Problems; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Bullying; Child and School Psychology; Child Rearing; Children & youth; Clinical Psychology; Communication Skills; Depression (Psychology); Developmental Psychology; Education; Educational Resources; Elementary Education; Elementary School Students; Elementary schools; Emotional Adjustment; Ethnic Groups; Families & family life; Family Income; Gender Differences; Grade 3; Grade 4; Grade 5; Hispanic Americans; Holistic Approach; Hyperactivity; Kindergarten; Low Income Groups; Mental Disorders; Middle schools; Minority Group Children; Original Paper; Parenting Styles; Parents; Parents & parenting; Peer Groups; Peers; Predictor Variables; Psychology; School Violence; Social capital; Social isolation; Sociodemographics; Socioeconomic Influences; Student Behavior; Students with Disabilities; Suicides & suicide attempts; Verbal Communication; Victimization; Victims; Young Children
• ISSN: 1866-2625; 1866-2633
• DOI: 10.1007/s12310-022-09520-7

We analyzed a population-based cohort of 11,780 US children to identify risk and protective factors by kindergarten predictive of being frequently verbally, social, reputationally, or physically victimized during the upper elementary grades. We also stratified the analyses by biological sex. Kindergarten children displaying externalizing problem behaviors were at consistently higher risk of being frequently victimized during third–fifth grade (odds ratios [OR] for verbal = 1.82, social = 1.60, reputational = 1.85, physical = 1.67, and total = 1.93). Hispanic children (OR range = 0.51 to 0.68) and those from higher income families (OR range = 0.73 to 0.83) were less likely to experience victimization. Boys were more likely than girls to be physically victimized (OR = 1.38) but less likely to be verbally (OR = 0.83), socially (OR = .66), or reputationally (OR = 0.83) victimized or to experience total victimization (OR = .82). Other variables predictive of increased risks for frequent victimization included having a disability, experiencing cognitively stimulating parenting, and displaying lower academic achievement.