Introduction

This study examined the degree to which peers can serve as a protective factor to mitigate the negative effects of exposure to violence (i.e., victimization, witnessing violence) on adolescents' physical aggression. Four specific dimensions of peer influence were examined — friends' support for nonviolence, friends' support for fighting, peer pressure for fighting, and friends’ delinquent behavior.

Methods

Analyses were conducted on four waves of data collected every 3 months (i.e., fall, winter, spring, summer) from a predominantly African-American (78%) sample of 2575 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders attending three public middle schools in the United States. The sample was 52% female, with a mean age of 12.3 years (SD = 1.00).

Results

Findings for relations with victimization differed by sex. For boys, low levels of friends' delinquent behavior attenuated the relation between victimization and changes in physical aggression across all three waves. The protective effect of low levels of peer pressure for fighting was only evident in the winter for boys, whereas the protective effect of friends' support for nonviolence was only evident in the summer. For girls, high levels of friends’ support for nonviolence attenuated the relation between victimization in the winter and changes in physical aggression in the spring. In contrast, none of the peer factors moderated the relation between witnessing violence and physical aggression.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that prevention and interventions that increase positive peer influences and decrease negative peer influences may benefit adolescents by reducing risks associated with victimization.

中文翻译：

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接触暴力对青少年身体攻击的影响：同伴的保护性影响

介绍

本研究考察了同伴在多大程度上可以作为一种保护因素来减轻暴露于暴力（即受害、目睹暴力）对青少年身体攻击的负面影响。研究了同伴影响的四个具体维度——朋友对非暴力的支持、朋友对打架的支持、同伴对打架的压力以及朋友的犯罪行为。

方法

对每 3 个月（即秋季、冬季、春季、夏季）收集的四波数据进行了分析，这些数据来自一个主要是非洲裔美国人 (78%) 的样本，该样本包括在三所公立中学就读的 2575 名六、七和八年级学生。美国。样本为 52% 的女性，平均年龄为 12.3 岁（SD = 1.00）。

结果

与受害关系的调查结果因性别而异。对于男孩来说，朋友的不良行为水平较低会减弱所有三个波中受害与身体攻击变化之间的关系。低水平的同伴压力对打架的保护作用只在冬天对男孩很明显，而朋友支持非暴力的保护作用只在夏天很明显。对于女孩来说，朋友对非暴力的高度支持减弱了冬季受害与春季身体攻击变化之间的关系。相比之下，没有一个同伴因素能缓和目击暴力和身体攻击之间的关系。

结论

研究结果表明，增加积极同伴影响和减少消极同伴影响的预防和干预措施可能通过降低与受害相关的风险而使青少年受益。