Peer-victimisation and posttraumatic stress in adolescents

Bully/victim problems were assessed in 331 adolescents attending English Secondary Schools. One hundred and thirty six respondents (40%) reported having been bullied at some time during their schooling. Those respondents who reported having been bullied completed the Impact of Event Scale (IES: [Horowitz, M., Wilner, N., & Alvarez, W. (1979). Impact of Event Scale: a measure of subjective stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 41, 209-218]). Fifty (37%) of the respondents who completed the IES had scores above the cut-off point of 35 which has been used to indicate clinically significant levels of posttraumatic stress. Multiple regression analyses showed that high IES scores in victimised respondents were predicted by experience of social manipulation and a belief that control lies with powerful others. Low self-worth was predicted by experience of verbal victimisation and the belief that control lies with unknown others. These results provide evidence that peer victimisation is associated with lower self-worth and higher posttraumatic stress and that those adolescents with an external locus of control may be at greater risk of psychological problems. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved