Childhood Predictors of Violent Victimization at Age 17 Years: The Role of Early Social Behavioral Tendencies.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the relation between early social behavioral tendencies and the risk of violent victimization in late adolescence.

STUDY DESIGN

We analyzed 5 waves of data from the Zurich Project on the Social Development from Childhood into Adulthood (z-proso), a longitudinal sample of Swiss first graders (N = 1138). Early social behavioral tendencies were measured at age 7 years and included internalizing problems, externalizing behavior, prosocial behavior, negative peer relations, competent problem solving, dominance, and sensation seeking. Path analyses were conducted of the association between these tendencies and violent victimization at age 17 years, and mediation through intermediate victimization at ages 11, 13, and 15 years was examined.

RESULTS

Several childhood social behavioral tendencies predicted victimization 10 years later. Though this was the case for both sexes, the number and type of significant risk factors differed. For male children, sensation seeking, externalizing behavior, high prosociality, and negative peer relations at age 7 years increased later victimization, whereas for female children, dominance and externalizing behavior were predictive. In addition, results showed that the relation between early risk factors and age 17 years victimization was mediated by intermediate victimization, showing that differences in victimization risk in early adolescence are carried forward into late adolescence.

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood social behavioral tendencies predict victimization 10 years later. Incorporating this finding into early prevention programs could reduce victimization over the life course.