Date of Conferral

2-27-2024

Date of Award

February 2024

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Tracy Marsh

Abstract

Childhood peer victimization occurs every day in the United States. This experience causes stress, mood changes, and social discord for the victims. Other researchers have examined the long-term implications of childhood peer victimization, which include depression, anxiety, stress response, attention deficits, and poor overall well-being. Further research is needed to identify more areas impacted by childhood peer victimization. Social learning theory proposed experiences influence behaviors and provided the theoretical foundation for this study. Ninety-nine participants were recruited for this quantitative study using online crowdsourcing and social media. The participants completed a survey comprised of the California Bullying Victimization Scale Retrospective Scale, Relational Self-Esteem Scale, Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, and a demographic questionnaire to include age and gender. Pearson correlation analysis and one-way multivariate analysis of variance were used to examine the relationship between the data gathered on age, gender, and childhood peer victimization and the data collected on social desirability and relational self-esteem. The results indicated childhood peer victimization did predict social desirability levels in adults. Additionally, the results showed gender did predict relational self-esteem in adults. This knowledge promotes positive social change by providing treatment providers insight into the origin of social deficits experienced. A greater understanding of the long-term implications of childhood peer victimization allows treating providers to address the prior experience and employ strategies that will address the social deficits as well.

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