The Context of Ethnicity: Peer Victimization and Adjustment Problems in Early Adolescence

The current study bridges research on peer relational and physical victimization with research on ethnic victimization and situates this research in the context of ethnic diversity. Specifically, the authors investigate how ethnic, relational, and physical victimization relate to concurrent levels of depression/anxiety and physical aggression and assess individual and classroom ethnic differences in these associations. These associations are tested using data from a cross-sectional sample of Aboriginal, Asian, and Caucasian adolescents in Grades 6 and 7. Overall, ethnic, relational, and physical victimization were significantly intercorrelated and showed common and unique associations with depression/anxiety and physical aggression that differed modestly by ethnicity. Levels of classroom ethnic diversity differentially influenced some of the associations between ethnic (but not relational or physical) victimization and adjustment problems for Aboriginal and Asian adolescents.