The victim schema model: A longitudinal study of social-cognitive processing, emotional distress, and peer victimization in childhood

This study investigated the effects of victim schema accessibility on current and future peer victimization. A model was proposed whereby emotion regulation difficulties predicted current victimization both directly and through emotional distress in the presence of threat, and implicit association predicted current victimization both directly and through hostile attribution bias. It was proposed that future victimization was solely predicted by emotion regulation (ER) and implicit association. One hundred and eighty 913 year old children completed the emotional Stroop task and the self-concept Implicit Association Test (IAT), responded to social vignettes containing ambiguous threats, and related narratives of personal victimization experiences. Children and their parents completed measures of ER and victimization experiences. Victimization was reassessed after six months. Model testing supported the effects of ER and emotional distress on current and future victimization, but did not support the effects of implicit association or hostile attribution bias. ER was significantly associated with emotional distress, current victimization, and future victimization, while emotional distress was significantly associated with current victimization.;Keywords. Peer Victimization, Peer Relations, Schema, Emotional Regulation, Social Cognitions.