AGGRESSION, DEPRESSION, AND STRESSFUL LIFE EVENTS PREDICTING PEER REJECTION IN CHILDREN

This short-term prospective study examined the contribution of aggress ion and depression, stressful life events, and their interactions to t he prediction of peer rejection. Subjects were 497 fifth- and sixth-gr ade children who completed questionnaires at two time points separated by approximately 3 months. Levels of peer rejection and aggression we re assessed by peer nominations; level of depressive symptoms and numb er of stressful life events were measured by self-report questionnaire s. Controlling for sex and baseline level of peer rejection, aggressio n directly predicted peer rejection. In contrast, depressive symptoms interacted with life stress to predict peer rejection. Examination of the Depression x Stress interaction revealed that depressive symptoms in children who had experienced high levels of life stress were not as sociated with increased levels of peer rejection, whereas depressive s ymptoms in children with low levels of stress were predictive of subse quent peer rejection. Several interpretations of these findings and di rections for future research are suggested.