Familial and Bullying Victimisation: The Impact of Early Adversity Within the Home and Peer Settings on Late Adolescence and Adult Psychopathology

BACKGROUND: Awareness of adverse childhood experiences and their impact on adult psychopathology primarily focuses on adversities within the home. There is limited insight into the impact of adversities across peer environments. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates 19 items related to adverse experiences across the home, school and peer environments and their relationship to 12-month and lifetime psychopathology. DATA: Secondary analysis of the Ulster University Student Well-being Study. The dataset included completed responses across all selected variables for 729 participants. METHOD AND RESULTS: Latent profile analysis identified a low adversity profile, bullying adversity profile and higher prevalence adversity profile. Regression analysis of the three profiles and demographics variables indicated their impact on adult psychopathology lifetime and 12-month prevalence rates. CONCLUSION: Schools and HE institutions should acknowledge the impact of childhood adversities. In doing so, it is important to consider the deeper impact of bullying due to its links with psychopathology across the lifespan. Educational institutions should take appropriate steps to mitigate continued exposure as students’ progress through the education system.