Chronic peer victimization heightens neural sensitivity to risk taking
Karen Rudolph2017, Development and Psychopathology
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Abstract
Although behavioral and experimental studies have shown links between victimization and antisocial behavior, the neural correlates explaining this link are relatively unknown. In the current study, we recruited adolescent girls from a longitudinal study that tracked youths' reports of peer victimization experiences annually from the 2 nd through 8 th grades. Based on these reports, 46 adolescents were recruited: 25 chronically victimized and 21 non-victimized. During an fMRI scan, participants completed a risk-taking task. Chronic peer victimization was associated with greater risk-taking behavior during the task and higher levels of self-reported antisocial behavior in everyday life. At the neural level, chronically victimized girls showed greater activation in regions involved in affective sensitivity, social cognition, and cognitive control, which significantly mediated victimization group differences in self-reported antisocial behavior.
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