Peer victimization and discrimination are two related forms of social victimization.
However, the majority of studies only focus on one form or the other. This study investigates
resilience in victims of both these forms of violence.
Objective: To identify individual and family level factors that foster, or hinder, resilience in the
face of both peer victimization and perceived discrimination.
Participants: In a sample of 2975 high-school students, 22% (n = 644) met the criteria for sub-
stantial social victimization. The sample’s mean age was 16.5 years, 57% were girls, 19% were in
vocational courses, 12% were from an ethnic minority background, and 5% were lesbian, gay, or
bisexual.
Method: A measure of resilience was created by regressing the mean levels of current mental
health, self-esteem, and life satisfaction on the frequency of lifetime peer victimization and past
year perceived discrimination. Regression analyses were conducted to identify correlates of
resilience considering protective and vulnerability factors, including sociodemographic infor-
mation, anxious personality, empathy, coping strategies, familial optimism, and the relationship
with their mother and father.
Results: Resilience was associated with low anxious personality, four coping strategies (active, use
of humor, low self-blame, low substance use), and satisfaction with the relationship with the
mother.
Conclusions: Resilience is related to both behavioral and meaning-making coping strategies,
personality traits, and satisfaction in relationships. This study’s findings can be used to tailor
interventions to foster resilience in adolescents exposed to social victimization.
Freitas, D. F. d., Mendonça, M., Wolke, D., Marturano, E. M., Fontaine, A. M., & Coimbra, S. (2022). Resilience in the face of peer victimization and perceived discrimination: The role of individual and familial factors. Child Abuse Negl, 125, 105492. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105492