Role of peer violence in explanation of internalizing problems prevalence in younger adolescents

Ovim diplomskim radom htjela se ispitati zastupljenost različitih vrsta vršnjačkog nasilja, kao i simptoma internaliziranih problema kod mlađih adolescenata s područja Međimurja te istražiti povezanost različitih vrsta vršnjačkog nasilja i internaliziranih problema u ponašanju. Osim toga, radom se htjelo saznati postoje li razlike u izloženosti vršnjačkom nasilju i pojavnosti simptoma internaliziranih problema s obzirom na spol ispitanika. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 433 učenika i učenica sedmih i osmih razreda u administrativnim gradskim sredinama, Čakovcu, Murskom Središću i Prelogu. U uzorak je bilo uključeno 190 (44,7%) mladića i 235 (55,3 %) djevojaka, starosti od 12 do 15 godina (M=13,6). Upitnik korišten u istraživanju kombinacija je CTC upitnika za djecu i mlade (Mihić, Novak, Bašić, 2011), Upitnika školskih odnosa (School Relationship Questionnaire- SRQ) autora Woods i White (2005), Multidimenzionalne skale vršnjačkog nasilja (Multidimensional Peer-Victimization Scale, Mynard, Joseph, 2000) te Upitnika o ponašanju na internetu (Čosić i sur., 2010), a osnovnoškolci su ga ispunjavali u svojim školama, uz prethodni pristanak roditelja. Rezultati su pokazali da ispitanici u velikom broju iskazuju simptome depresivnosti i suicidalnosti. Što se tiče vršnjačkog nasilja, rezultati ukazuju na najčešću pojavnost verbalnog nasilja i otuđivanja predmeta, dok se najrjeđe javlja nasilje putem interneta. Utvrđene spolne razlike ukazuju na to da adolescentice češće iskazuju simptome depresivnosti i suicidalnosti u odnosu na adolescente, te da su adolescentice češće izložene relacijskom nasilju, dok su mladići češće izloženi fizičkom nasilju. Istraživanje je također ukazalo na povezanost između vršnjačkog nasilja i internaliziranih problema u ponašanju, na način da je veća izloženost svakom od istraživanih oblika vršnjačkog nasilja povezana s javljanjem većeg broja simptoma depresivnosti i suicidalnosti, pri čemu je ta povezanost najveća za relacijsko nasilje.The purpose of the study was to examine the representation of different forms of peer violence and internalizing problem behaviors in younger adolescents from Međimurje, as well as to explore the role of peer violence in explanation of internalizing problems prevalence in younger adolescents. Gender differences in peer violence exposure and internalizing problems symptoms have also been studied. The study included 433 male and female students in seventh or eighth grade, who attend primary schools in administrative urban areas, Čakovec, Mursko Središće and Prelog. The sample included 190 boys and 235 girls. The questionnaire used in the study is the combination of the CTC questionnaire for Children and Youth, the School Relationship Questionnaire, Multidimensional Peer-Victimization Scale and the Questionnaire about behaviour on the Internet (Čosić et al., 2010). The students have answered the questionnaire in their schools after getting the approval from their parents. According to the results, teenage girls are more relationally victimized, while teenage boys are more physically victimized. The results have also shown that the subjects express various symptoms from the internalizing problems domain, mostly depressive symptoms, sometimes followed by suicidal symptoms. Teenage girls express these symptoms more often than their male counterparts. The study has aldo pointed out a correlation between peer violence and internalizing behavoiral problems, where greater exposure to each of the investigated forms of peer violence has resulted in the occurence of a greater number of depressive and suicidal symptoms. The connection has been the greatest for relational violence