Variation in hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activity among bullied and non‐bullied children

Dados Bibliográficos

ID11106940
AutoresTracy Vaillancourt (0000-0002-9058-7276, McMaster University, autor correspondente), Eric Duku (0000-0003-3599-3527, McMaster University), Denys deCatanzaro (0000-0002-5313-6038, McMaster University), Harriet L Macmillan (0000-0002-1223-706X, McMaster University), Harriet Macmillan, Cameron Muir (0000-0003-1938-3649, Brock University), Louis A Schmidt (0000-0003-4346-7260), Louis Schmidt (0000-0001-7954-0664, McMaster University)
Ano2008
Volume34
Fascículo3
Páginas294-305
Data de publicação2008-05-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoAggressive Behavior (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0096-140X • E-ISSN: 1098-2337
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ab.20240
PMID18161876
OpenAlexW2107753021
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas25
Referências citadas71

We examined the relationship between being bullied during childhood and activity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis as assessed through repeated measures of salivary cortisol. A non‐clinical sample of 154 (74 boys) predominantly Caucasian middle‐class 12‐year‐olds each provided detailed information about their experiences with bullying and six saliva samples were standardized across time and day. Children with a history of child maltreatment, diagnosed psychiatric illness, foster care placement, medication use (psychotropic and oral contraception) and aggression directed toward peers and/or family members were excluded. Using multilevel regression and applying orthogonal polynomial contrasts to model the observed circadian pattern in the data, we found that occasional and frequent verbal peer victimization was associated with hyposecretion of cortisol when controlling for sex, pubertal status, age, depression and anxiety. This relation, however, was moderated by sex. For boys, occasional exposure was associated with higher cortisol levels, whereas for girls exposure was associated with lower cortisol levels. The present study highlights the need to consider the plight of peer‐victimized children seriously, as it is associated with alterations to the HPA axis that affect males and females differently, and likely diminishes a person's ability to cope with stress, possibly placing them at risk for psychopathology and ill health. Aggr. Behav. 34:294–305, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc

Hormone · Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis · Injury prevention · Medical emergency · Occupational safety and health · Pathology · Physics · Poison control · Suicide prevention · Variation (astronomy · Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Endocrinology · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Medicine · Psychology · Stress Responses and Cortisol