(PS2-55) Emotion Dysregulation and its Relationship to Peer Victimization and Aggression Among Neurodiverse Youth

Abstract Text: Emotion dysregulation (ED) involves difficulty modulating emotions, including both mood-based (dysphoria) and behavioral (reactivity) responses to environmental triggers (Mazefsky et al., 2021). ED is important in shaping peer experiences, particularly in peer aggression, the wide range of actions intended to hurt or harm others, and peer victimization, the experiences of being the recipient of peers’ aggressive behavior (Cooley et al., 2016). While relational aggression/victimization involves behaviors aimed at harming one’s social relationships, overt aggression/victimization involves direct acts of physical and verbal victimization (Doyle & Sullivan, 2017). While prior research links peer aggression and victimization to elevated ED (McLaughlin et al., 2009), whether ED predicts peer victimization and aggression remains underexplored, particularly for neurodivergent youth who are particularly at risk for negative peer experiences.

Twenty neurodiverse youth (Mage=12.95, SDage=1.76, 45% male; 70% White, 15% Asian/SouthAsian/MENA, 5% Multiracial; 9 Autistic) completed measures of peer victimization and aggression (Revised Peer Experiences Questionnaire; Prinstein et al., 2001). Their parents completed measures of ED (Emotion Dysregulation Index; Mazefsky et al., 2021).

Bivariate correlations indicated that total scores of peer victimization were significantly correlated with ED dysphoria (r=.486, p<.05) but not reactivity. Total scores of peer aggression were not significantly correlated with ED. However, subscales of peer victimization and aggression (i.e. overt and relational) showed specific associations with ED: Relational victimization was associated with both ED reactivity (r=.532, p<.05) and dysphoria (r=.535, p<.05), while overt victimization was not significantly correlated with ED. On the other hand, overt aggression was significantly correlated with both ED reactivity (r=.556, p<.05) and dysphoria (r=.488, p<.05), whereas relational aggression was not correlated with ED. Multiple regression analyses indicated that neither ED dysphoria nor reactivity uniquely predicted relational victimization and overt aggression when controlling for each other, suggesting they may each contribute similarly to victimization and aggression.

Findings suggest that individual emotional vulnerabilities (i.e., difficulties in regulating emotions) may play an important role in peer experiences, particularly in relational victimization and overt aggression. Future research can continue to explore the effects of both ED dysphoria and reactivity on peers’ experiences, which in turn can aid in identifying effective intervention strategies for youth (Memba et al., 2023). For example, cognitive behavioral therapies enhancing emotion regulation skills can be helpful for youth in mitigating these negative peer experiences (Cooley et al., 2022). As peer rejection in early childhood has been linked to higher levels of relational and physical aggression (Perry & Ostrov, 2023), our findings highlight the need for considering factors that may drive aggression (e.g., social cognition and environmental influences) to prevent cycles of peer aggression and victimization.