Are Childhood Profiles of Peer Relations Among Low-Income Urban Youth Differentially Associated with Youth Psychological Symptoms?

Given heterogeneity in children’s peer difficulties (e.g., victimization, bullying, prosociality) and associated psychological symptoms, a person-centered analytic approach is essential for understanding peer processes. There is a dearth of research considering peer processes using a person-centered approach among low income, urban youth, who are at risk for a variety of negative outcomes due to contextual circumstances. To address this gap, we examined profiles of peer processes among 104 low income, urban youth (M=9.95±1.23 years; 50% male; 96% African American). Peer victimization, peer exclusion, bullying, relational aggression, and prosocial behavior were rated by parents with the My Child’s Behavior with Other Children scale and by teachers with the Interactions with Other Children scale (Crick et al., 1996). Child-report of peer victimization, bullying, and peer social support was assessed with the Peer Social Support, Bullying, and Victimization Questionnaire (Crick et al., 1996). Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder (CD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and depression symptoms were rated by parents and teachers using the Child and Adolescent Symptom Inventory-4R and youth with the Youth’s Inventory-4 (Gadow & Sprafkin, 2005).

Latent profile analysis indicated that a four-profile model best fit the data based on fit indices (BIC, AIC, BLRT); class size; and entropy. The 4 profiles were (1) positive teacher (PosT)/negative parent (NegP)/average child (AvgC) ratings (n=24); (2) negative teacher (NegT) ratings/child-parent (C-P) agreement (average ratings; n=29); (3) child-parent-teacher (C-P-T) agreement (average/positive ratings; n=37); and (4) negative parent (NegP) ratings/child-teacher (C-T) agreement (average/positive ratings; n=14).

The C-P-T agreement profile differed (all ps<.05) from all other profiles in expected ways (i.e., lower symptom levels). Compared to the NegT/C-P agreement profile, the PosT/NegP/AvgC profile exhibited lower levels of all teacher-reported symptoms except depression. The PosT/NegP/AvgC profile also differed from the NegP/C-T agreement profile with lower levels of ODD across all informants; lower levels of parent- and teacher-reported CD, GAD, and ADHD symptoms; and lower levels of self- and teacher-reported depressive symptoms. The NegT/C-P agreement profile differed from the NegP/C-T agreement profile with lower levels of all parent-reported symptoms except GAD and lower levels of child-reported depressive symptoms. Delineating patterns of peer processes may inform individualized prevention programs to promote positive peer relations and attenuate risk for symptoms, particularly among low income, urban, at-risk youth.