Victimization in adolescence: the role of social ties and the quality of relationships in the family and school community

Introduction. Currently, there is an increase in the risks of victimization among representatives of different age and social strata, including young people. The aim of this study was to reveal the role of the quality of students’ relationships with peers and parents in the determination of their victimization. Materials and methods. Russian university students (M=105) took part in the study. The following methods were used: a demographic questionnaire, O.O. Andronnikova's Methods for Studying propensity to Victim Behavior by O.O. Andronnikova, G. Armsden and M. Greenberg's Parent and Peer Attachment Questionnaire, Alvarez's Family Social Capital Questionnaire, Lau and Lee's Student Social Capital Questionnaire. The obtained results indicated the positive role of secure attachment to the mother and to the friend, family cohesion and the negative role of conflicts in the family in the prevention of victimized behavior in adolescence Realised victimhood is more closely related to mother attachment than to father and friend attachment. Communication and cohesion among family members prevent the realisation of victimhood, while conflictual relationships within the family contribute to it. The propensity for aggressive behaviour is determined by the characteristics of attachment to mother, father and close friend; family relationships, attachment to mother and attachment to friend predict the propensity for self-harm; the propensity for dependent and uncritical victimization is determined more by family relationships than by peer relationships. The practical significance of the results is discussed.