ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Psychopathology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1596144
This article is part of the Research TopicExploring the Psychological therapies: Prevention and Intervention for Suicidal Attempt, Ideation, Behavior in AdolescentsView all 8 articles
Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Peer Victimization and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Adolescents with Depressive Disorders
Provisionally accepted
- 1Shandong Mental Health Center, Jinan, China
- 2Shenzhen KangNing Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
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Background Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is common among adolescents with depressive disorders, yet the role of peer victimization and gender differences remains understudied. This study examines how different types of peer victimization (physical, verbal, social, property) relate to NSSI, focusing on gender as a moderator. Methods A cross-sectional study of 2,343 adolescents with depressive disorders (517 males, 1,826 females) was conducted across 14 medical institutions in China. Peer victimization and NSSI were measured using the PVQ and C-FASM, respectively. Gender-stratified multiple linear regressions examined predictors of NSSI and its functions. Results NSSI was more prevalent in females (80.18%) than males (61.51%) (χ² = 77.094, p < 0.001), with higher scores for emotion regulation (β = 12.33 vs. 9.85, p < 0.001). Regression analyses revealed gender-specific predictors: in males, social victimization (β = 1.213, p = 0.036) and verbal victimization (β = 1.764, p = 0.031) significantly predicted NSSI related to emotion regulation; in females, physical victimization (β = 0.768, p = 0.005) and social victimization (β = 0.873, p < 0.001) were the primary predictors. For attention-seeking functions, physical, social, and verbal victimization were significant predictors in both genders, with higher coefficients observed in males. It is noteworthy that property victimization was significantly associated with social avoidance-driven NSSI only in females (β = 0.564, p = 0.001), highlighting the gender-specific impact of victimization on NSSI functions. Conclusion Peer victimization is a significant predictor of NSSI, with clear gender-specific patterns. Gender-sensitive assessments and interventions tailored to victimization type are essential for early prevention.
Keywords: Non-suicidal self-injury, Peer victimization, gender differences, depressive disorders, adolescence
Received: 09 Apr 2025; Accepted: 22 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yin, Liu, Wang, Wang, Dongdong and Zhou. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Qiao Dongdong, Shandong Mental Health Center, Jinan, China
Yongjie Zhou, Shenzhen KangNing Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
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