ADJUSTMENT OF ANTISOCIAL AND NONANTISOCIAL REJECTED ADOLESCENTS

This study was designed to expand the investigation of peer-rejected s ubgroup differences to adolescence. A sample of 501 eighth-grade adole scents (age 13-14 years) were assessed. These students and their class mates (1,082 15-16-year-olds) were assessed at 10th grade. Rejected-an tisocial and rejected-nonantisocial subgroups were identified at both time periods using peer ratings of social status and antisocial behavi or. They were compared with accepted, accepted-antisocial, and accepte d-nonantisocial subgroups. Results are consistent with past research i ndicating significant heterogeneity within the rejected population. Re jected-antisocial adolescents exhibited elevated problem behavior (sub stance use and deviant peer involvement), depression, and school adjus tment difficulties (low attendance, low achievement, and school discip line problems). Rejected-nonantisocial students in contrast exhibited little problem behavior, but were characterized by low physical attrac tiveness and lower involvement in athletics. Discussions of psychopath ological risk associated with peer rejection must account for the hete rogeneity and extreme differences between antisocial and nonantisocial -rejected adolescents. Comparison of antisocial and nonantisocial-reje cted children with their respective antisocial and nonantisocial-accep ted comparison groups revealed few differences. This calls into questi on the unique contribution of rejection in the development of psychopa thology.