Peer-victimisation and posttraumatic stress in adolescents

Bully/victim problems were assessed in 331 adolescents attending English Se condary Schools. One hundred and thirty six respondents (40%) reported havi ng been bullied at some time during their schooling. Those respondents who reported having been bullied completed the Impact of Event Scale (IES: [Hor owitz, M., Wilner, N., & Alvarez, W. (1979). Impact of Event Scale: a measu re of subjective stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 41, 209-218]). Fifty (37%) of the respondents who completed the IES had scores above the cut-off poin t of 35 which has been used to indicate clinically significant levels of po sttraumatic stress. Multiple regression analyses showed that high IES score s in victimised respondents were predicted by experience of social manipula tion and a belief that control lies with powerful others. Low self-worth wa s predicted by experience of verbal victimisation and the belief that contr ol lies with unknown others. These results provide evidence that peer victi misation is associated with lower self-worth and higher posttraumatic stres s and that those adolescents with an external locus of control may be at gr eater risk of psychological problems. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All ri ghts reserved.