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Long-term effects of peer victimization on social outcomes through the fourth decade of life in individuals born at normal or extremely low birthweight
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Long-term effects of peer victimization on social outcomes through the fourth decade of life in individuals born at normal or extremely low birthweight

Kimberly L. Day, Ryan J. Van Lieshout, Tracy Vaillancourt, Saroj Saigal, Michael H. Boyle and Louis A. Schmidt
British Journal of Developmental Psychology, Vol.35(3), pp.334-348
35
08/14/2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12168
PMCID: PMC5466842
PMID: 27943398
Web of Science ID: WOS:000407646100002

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Abstract

Exposure to early adversity is known to have deleterious effects on brain-behaviour relations across the lifespan and across a range of domains. Here, we tested a cumulative risk hypothesis of adult social functioning and health outcomes in the fourth decade of life, using the oldest known longitudinally followed cohort of survivors of extremely low birthweight (ELBW; <1,000 g). We investigated the additional impact of peer victimization in youth on social outcomes at age 29–36 years in ELBW survivors and matched normal birthweight (NBW; >2,500 g) participants. In the combined sample, peer victimization was associated with lower likelihood of having children and household income, poorer family functioning and self-esteem, more loneliness and chronic health conditions, less social support, and increased likelihood for contact with police. Moderation analyses indicated that among ELBW survivors, compared to their NBW counterparts, victimization was more strongly associated with being convicted of a crime and with having chronic health conditions. These findings highlight the negative long-term impact of peer victimization on all children and that some outcomes may be differentially affected by prenatal and early post-natal environments.

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