The Vicious Cycle of Interpersonal Violence: The Relationship Among Childhood Maltreatment, Peer Victimization, and Aggression in Adolescents

Previous studies suggest a reciprocal relationship between peer victimization and aggression in adolescents. However, much is unknown about this relationship due to the specificity in subtypes of aggression. Additionally, what factor triggers the reciprocal relationship between peer victimization and aggression remains unclear. Using a longitudinal dataset, the present study examined the reciprocal relationship between peer victimization and reactive/proactive aggression, respectively, and explored the triggering effect of childhood maltreatment. A total of 2741 adolescents (55.9% male; M age = 13.28 ± 0.73) from three junior high schools in China participated in this study. The results showed that the reciprocal relationship only existed between peer victimization and proactive aggression, and did not exist between peer victimization and reactive aggression. Moreover, the triggering effects of childhood maltreatment were significant. That is, the two mediation pathways “childhood maltreatment—peer victimization—reactive/proactive aggression” and “childhood maltreatment—proactive aggression—peer victimization” were both significant across boys and girls. These findings provide insight that exposure to maltreatment in the family during childhood would trigger the vicious cycle of interpersonal violence during adolescence, reflected by the reinforced escalation of peer victimization and aggression perpetration.