Peer victimization

Card, N. (2012). Peer victimization. Research Brief prepared for the U.S. Department of Defense. October 2012. Retrieved from: www.MilitaryREACH.org

In social science, the term peer victimization refers to someone – usually a child – being the target of aggression by peers. Aggressive behavior can be either overt (e.g., hitting, taunting) or relational (e.g., excluding from groups or spreading gossip)7, and includes behaviors popularly referred to as bullying. In addition, the focus here is on victimization from peers, or those of a similar age. Victimization from parents, siblings, or other adults are not considered in this research brief. Peer victimization is common among school children, and is associated with a variety of psychological, academic, social, and family factors. In this brief, we will provide a summary of the research on the frequency of peer victimization and the factors associated with experiencing peer victimization along with implications and recommendations for prevention efforts.

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