Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Susan L. Rarick

Abstract

AbstractPeer victimization is aggressive behavior, a school stressor, and a social problem that could have significant adverse outcomes on adolescents’ psychological, social, and physical well-being. Some of the adverse outcomes of peer victimization in the adolescent population include externalizing and internalizing problems. More insight is needed on the impact of peer victimization on the well-being of adolescents, especially those who belong to minority groups. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of peer victimization on the psychosocial functioning and adjustment of African-born adolescents in the United States by using Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional theory of stress and coping. The research questions centered on ascertaining how exposure to different types of peer victimization predicts the psychosocial functioning and adjustment of African-born adolescents and which combination of the different types of peer victimization is the best predictor of the selected outcome. A quantitative correlational design with logistic regression was used to analyze secondary data collected from 282 African-born adolescents between 12 and 18 years who participated in the National Center for Education Statistics’ 2015 School Crime Supplement. The findings showed that physical assault and intimidation (PAI), verbal aggression, and relational unfriendly behaviors (RUB) significantly predicted the psychosocial functioning and adjustment (PFA) of African-born adolescents while the combination of PAI and RUB best predicted PFA. The findings of this study may promote positive social change by facilitating school leaders’ and clinicians’ knowledge of the impact of this aggressive behavior on adolescents and selection of appropriate interventions for victims.

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