Being Bullied as an Environmentally Mediated Contributing Factor to Children's Internalizing Problems: A Study of Twins Discordant for Victimization
Abstract
Objective To test whether the experience of being bullied has an environmentally mediated effect on internalizing symptoms in young children. Design A genetically informative, longitudinal 1994-1995 birth cohort. Setting A nationally representative sample from the United Kingdom. Participants We examined 1116 twin pairs who are participants in the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study. Main Exposure The experience of being bullied between the ages of 7 and 9 years. Main outcome measures Mothers' and teachers' reports of children's internalizing problems at 7 and 10 years of age. Results Monozygotic twins who had been bullied had more internalizing symptoms (mean, 0.23; SD, 1.00) compared with their co-twin who had not been bullied (mean, -0.13; SD, 0.86), indicating that being bullied has an environmentally mediated effect on children's internalizing problems (beta, 0.36 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.18-0.54]). This effect remained significant after controlling for preexisting internalizing problems (beta, 0.26 [95% CI, 0.09-0.44]). Conclusions Being bullied at a young age is an environmentally mediated contributing factor to children's internalizing problems. Intervention programs aimed at reducing bullying behavior in schools and in the community have the potential to influence children's early symptoms of mental health problems.
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Negative peer interactions increase emotional symptoms via non-shared environmental pathways, unconfounded by pre-existing genetic dispositions or by features of the familial environment shared by both twins.
“Furthermore, twin studies show that negative peer interactions increase emotional symptoms via non‐shared environmental pathways, providing evidence that these associations are unconfounded by pre‐existing genetic dispositions or by features of the familial environment shared by both twins (Arseneault et al., 2008; Schaefer et al., 2018; Silberg et al., 2016).”
From A cross‐lagged twin study of emotional symptoms, social isolation and peer victimisation from early adolescence to emerging adulthood (2023) · cites this paper as Arseneault et al., 2008
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Self-citationPhysical Maltreatment Victim to Antisocial Child: Evidence of an Environmentally Mediated Process.
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Bullying victimization in youths and mental health problems: ‘Much ado about nothing’
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Morneau‐Vaillancourt, G., Oginni, O., Assary, E., Krebs, G., Thompson, E. J., Palaiologou, E., Lockhart, C., Arseneault, L., & Eley, T. C. (2023) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/jcpp.13847 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
“…increase emotional symptoms via non-shared environmental pathways, providing evidence that these associations are unconfounded by pre-existing genetic dispositions or by features of the familial environment shared by both twins (Arseneault et al., 2008; Schaefer et al., 2018; Silberg et al., 2016).”
BackgroundSelf-citation
- Authors
- Arseneault, L., Milne, B. J., Taylor, A., Adams, F., Delgado, K., Caspi, A., & Moffitt, T. E.
- Affiliations
- King's College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Arseneault, Louise
- Venue
- Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
- Publisher
- American Medical Association (AMA)
- Published
- 2008-02-01
- Volume
- 162
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 145
- ISSN
- 1072-4710 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2128833514
- Cited by
- 152
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 13.82
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Keywords
- bullying, internalizing problems, environmental mediation, child mental health, monozygotic twins, twin pairs, Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study, school bullying, early childhood, genetic and environmental factors
- MeSH terms
- Aggression, Child, Child Behavior Disorders, Female, United Kingdom, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Surveys and Questionnaires, Registries, Risk Factors, Twins, Monozygotic, Linear Models, Crime Victims
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