Epidemiology of Peer Victimization and its Impact on Health-Related Quality of Life in Adolescents: a Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Numerous cross-sectional studies have linked health-related quality of life (HRQoL) with peer victimization, but evidence of how this relationship may change over time is lacking. The main objectives of this study were to analyze the prevalence, incidence, and stability of peer victimization and to longitudinally relate peer victimization to HRQoL. A longitudinal study was designed and implemented at three separate time points over a 13-month period. The study involved 1,155 adolescents (43.5% boys; n = 503) aged between 11 and 18 years. The prevalence of victimization for each wave was, respectively, 32.4%, 25.9%, and 23.7%, with a period prevalence of 48.5% and a cumulative incidence of 25%. Eight percent of the victims were stable victims across the three waves. The most frequent type of victimization was direct verbal victimization. Peer victimization correlated significantly across the three waves (r > .40; p < .001), as did HRQoL (r > .50; p < .001). Stable victims showed the lowest HRQoL scores. There were no statistically significant differences in HRQoL among new victims, ceased victims, and intermittent victims, but all of them presented lower HRQoLs than non-victims (p < .001). In conclusion, this manuscript presents a unique approach to peer victimization through an epidemiological perspective and provides evidence that stable victims experience the greatest loss of HRQoL.