Friendship Quality: Role in the Relationship between Peer Victimisation and Psychopathology

This cross-sectional study explored the moderating influence of friendship quality and gender in the relationship between psychopathology and different types of victimisation experienced by primary school children. Five hundred and sixty-six children (n = 264 males; n = 302 females) with a mean age of 11.61 years (SD = 1.10) in Adelaide, South Australia completed the Peer Relations Questionnaire, the Relational Aggression Scale, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Friendship Quality Questionnaire. Neither overall friendship quality nor gender moderated the relationship between either direct or relational victimisation and psychopathology. However, 'conflict and betrayal' moderated the relationship between relational victimisation and psychopathology. For high levels of conflict and betrayal the relationship between relational victimisation and psychopathology was stronger for boys than girls. Possibly, a particular aspect of friendship quality may be more protective in the relationship between different types of victimisation and psychopathology. Implications of these results and suggestions for future research are considered.