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A latent class analysis of parent–child discrepancies in reports of peer victimization: Associations to child sexual abuse status and psychological adjustment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2021

Amélie Tremblay-Perreault Open the ORCID record for Amélie Tremblay-Perreault [Opens in a new window] ,
Martine Hébert Open the ORCID record for Martine Hébert [Opens in a new window]  and
Laetitia Mélissande Amédée
Amélie Tremblay-Perreault
Affiliation:
Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
Martine Hébert*
Affiliation:
Département de sexologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
Laetitia Mélissande Amédée
Affiliation:
Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
*
Author for Correspondence: Martine Hébert, Department of sexology, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal (Québec), CanadaH3C 3P8; E-mail: hebert.m@uqam.ca
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Abstract

Researchers face an important challenge when assessing peer victimization in children, since self-reports are often discrepant with parent-reports. A latent class analysis identified patterns of response to items assessing peer victimization, which were either divergent or convergent between the parent and the child. Classes were then compared on the child sexual abuse status and on various behavioral and social outcomes. Participants were 720 school-aged child victims of sexual abuse and a comparison group of 173 nonvictims and their caregivers. We identified two discordant subgroups (self-identified and parent-identified) and two concordant groups (nonvictims and concordant victims of peer victimization). Compared to children of the comparison group, sexually abused children were five times more likely to be identified as targets of peer victimization solely by their parent than the contrary. Sexually abused children with concordant reports of peer victimization showed the poorest adjustment on all studied outcomes assessed 6 months later. Children who discounted experiencing peer victimization while their parent reported it were also at risk of maladjustment. Results underscore the importance of supplementing self-reports with other available sources of information, especially in young and vulnerable populations who may be inclined to discount their victimization experiences.

Keywords

child sexual abusemulti-informantparent–child discrepanciespeer victimizationpsychological adjustment
Type
Regular Article
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 34 , Issue 3 , August 2022 , pp. 889 - 900
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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