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Assessing Aggressive and Depressed Children's Social Relations with Classmates and Friends: A Matter of Perspective

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Abstract

This study examined aggressive, depressed, and aggressive–depressed childrenr's peer relations from the children's own and from their peers' perspective. Participants were 819 fourth through sixth graders (50.2% girls) who were assessed twice during the same school year. Measures included children's aggression and depression, self-rated and peer-rated social acceptance, number of reciprocal friends, and self-rated and friend-rated friendship quality. Analyses revealed different patterns, depending on the perspective considered. Depression but not aggression was significantly related to difficulties with the peer group and with dyadic friends from the children's own perspective, whereas the opposite pattern was found according to the peers' view. The co-occurrence of aggression and depression entailed significant difficulties with peers regardless of perspective. The implications of these results for the links between children's aggression and depression and their interpersonal relationships are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Mara Brendgen & François Poulin

  2. Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Frank Vitaro

  3. Centre de Recherche Fernand Seguin; currently at the School of Psycho-Education, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Lyse Turgeon

Authors
  1. Mara Brendgen
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  2. Frank Vitaro
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  3. Lyse Turgeon
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  4. François Poulin
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Correspondence to Mara Brendgen.

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Brendgen, M., Vitaro, F., Turgeon, L. et al. Assessing Aggressive and Depressed Children's Social Relations with Classmates and Friends: A Matter of Perspective. J Abnorm Child Psychol 30, 609–624 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020863730902

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