Volume 47, Issue 1 p. 17-27
RESEARCH ARTICLE

The role of empathy and social anxiety in Latinx adolescents' indirect peer aggression during the transition to high school

Naomi Tarlow

Corresponding Author

Naomi Tarlow

Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida

Correspondence Naomi Tarlow, Department of Psychology, University of Miami, PO Box 248185, Coral Gables, FL 33124.

Email: ntarlow@miami.edu

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Annette M. La Greca

Annette M. La Greca

Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida

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First published: 27 August 2020
Citations: 10

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between decreased empathy (i.e., cognitive and affective) and indirect and cyber peer aggression among Latinx adolescents during their transition to high school. Further, we examined the degree to which social anxiety moderated this relationship. Participants were 469 Latinx ninth graders, ages 13–17 years (M = 14.52, SD = 0.58; 58% girls). Adolescents completed the Revised Peer Experiences Questionnaire, Cyber Peer Experiences Questionnaire, Basic Empathy Scale, and Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents at two different time points, 3 months apart. Hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed concurrent and prospective relationships between lower cognitive empathy and the perpetration of both indirect and cyber aggression. In addition, social anxiety moderated the concurrent associations between both types of empathy and both types of aggression perpetration. Results suggest that interventions that facilitate cognitive empathy and decrease social anxiety may help to reduce adolescents' indirect and cyber aggression toward peers throughout the high school transition.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

The authors declare that there are no conflict of interests.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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