Victimisation during Adolescence: A Social Identity Perspective

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the use of the Social Identity Theory to account for victimisation in adolescence, by analysing the relationship between group identification and victimisation. A total of 1599 adolescents attending a secondary school in the Netherlands participated in the research. Participants completed a large questionnaire, in which they rated the occurrence of victimisation and levels of group identification in the past schoolyear. The data were analysed by using multiple regression analysis. The results indicate that group identification negatively predicts victimisation. This association is moderated by age, not by gender. The results were interpreted as confirming the use of implementation of the Social Identity Theory for explaining victimisation, not only perpetration. This finding provides us with new insights and implications for future research and interventions preventing victimisation.