Aggressive, rejected, victimized children and adolescents: a comparison of friendship quality and peer relations

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined the best friendships of aggressive, rejected, victimized, and normative adolescents.

Methods: One thousand four hundred and thirty participants completed questionnaires and were categorized into different subgroups (i.e., proactive vs. reactive aggressors, aggressive vs. passive victims). The Friendship Quality Questionnaire was used to assess participants’ friendship quality with their best friends. Structural interview was carried out to examine the quality and quantity of their best friendships.

Results: In terms of the quality of their friendship, there was no significant difference between aggressive adolescents and non-aggressive adolescents. However, passive victims were found to have significantly lower friendship quality. Differences were found in adolescents’ social problems and social preferences.

Discussion: Intervention programs should focus on minimizing aggressive behaviors and victimizations through the use of friendships. Interventions would need to focus on cultivating individual’s friendship skills and helping them to develop quality friendships with their peers. Interventions with different trainings should be designed to different subgroups of high-risk individuals according to their uniqueness.