Date of Award

8-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

School

Psychology

Committee Chair

Dr. Eric Dahlen

Committee Chair School

Psychology

Committee Member 2

Dr. Melanie Leuty

Committee Member 2 School

Psychology

Committee Member 3

Dr. Bonnie Nicholson

Committee Member 3 School

Psychology

Committee Member 4

Dr. Kevin Wells

Committee Member 4 School

Education

Abstract

Peer victimization is associated with several short- and long-term psychosocial consequences for both children and adults. Although there is evidence that peer victimization negatively impacts college students, the degree to which it may affect students’ mental health and well-being remains unclear. Most studies of peer victimization among college students focus only on retrospective accounts of childhood victimization, leaving many unknowns about how recent or ongoing victimization may impact students. The present study examined both retrospective and recent experiences of peer victimization in a college student sample (N = 366, 18-29 years old) while considering the moderating role of perceived social support on trauma symptoms and psychological well-being. A conditional process model showed that peer victimization occurring prior to college predicted experiences of peer victimization during college and recent post-traumatic stress symptoms. Moreover, peer victimization during college mediated the relationships of prior victimization to both post-traumatic stress symptoms and well-being. Finally, perceived social support did not moderate any of the relationships between victimization prior to college or during college on post-traumatic stress symptoms or well-being. These findings provided partial support for the hypothesized moderated mediation model, highlighting the complex associations between experiences of peer victimization, mental health outcomes, and social support.

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