International Journal of Developmental Science - Volume 15, issue 1-2

Authors: Scheithauer, Herbert

Article Type: Editorial

DOI: 10.3233/DEV-200004

Citation: International Journal of Developmental Science, vol. 15, no. 1-2, pp. 1-1, 2021

Authors: Kissgen, Ruediger | Franke, Sebastian | Jorjadze, Nino | Roth, Bernhard | Kribs, Angela

Article Type: Brief Report

Abstract: This study examines the infant–father attachment in infants born preterm (< 1500 g at birth and/or < 37 weeks gestation) in comparison to full-term infants. The infant–father attachment was assessed using the Strange Situation Procedure at a (corrected) age of 15 months. We found at least half of preterm and full-term infants (50.0% and 56.5% respectively) securely attached to their fathers, and no significant overall difference was observed concerning the distribution of attachment quality comparing the two groups. In light of the fact that preterm infants tend to have numerous neurodevelopmental problems, it is encouraging that significant differences were not found in the distribution …of the attachment quality among the groups. Therefore, from the perspective of attachment research, it would be highly beneficial to include fathers in the care of their preterm infants. Show more

Keywords: Attachment, preterm, infants, father

DOI: 10.3233/DEV-200299

Citation: International Journal of Developmental Science, vol. 15, no. 1-2, pp. 3-8, 2021

Authors: Goagoses, Naska | Koglin, Ute

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The aim of the current study was to investigate whether the association between parental attachment and externalizing behavior is parallelly mediated by dysfunctional emotion regulation and callous-unemotional traits. The community sample included 296 adolescents (Mage  = 14.90, SDage  = 1.31), who completed the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits, the Regulation of Emotions Questionnaire, and the Youth Self-Report Child Behavior Checklist. A mediation analysis revealed both direct and indirect effects. Secure attachment representations were negatively associated with internal- and external dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies and callous-unemotional traits, which in turn were positively associated with externalizing behavior problems. …The current study expands previous research by simultaneously investigating familial and cognitive factors that foster externalizing behavior problems. An attachment-based perspective offers new possibilities for theory expansion, research directions, and the development of interventions. Show more

Keywords: Attachment, externalizing behavior, emotion regulation, callous-unemotional traits

DOI: 10.3233/DEV-200291

Citation: International Journal of Developmental Science, vol. 15, no. 1-2, pp. 9-17, 2021

Authors: Ioannidou, Louiza | Zafiropoulou, Maria

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Separate lines of research have linked negative parenting practices, victimization, and negative affectivity - separately - with internalizing symptoms in children. However, no previous studies have connected these lines of research to examine internalizing pathology in children. The current study tested complex moderated-mediation models to investigate the respective effects of victimization and negative affectivity on the relationship between parenting practices and internalizing symptoms. Greek-Cypriot children (N = 374) and their parents took part in the study. The children completed the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire, the Negative Affect Scale for Children, and the Parental Bonding Instrument. Their parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist …– Parent Report (CBCL). Moderated-mediation models highlighted that negative affectivity moderates the mediating effect of victimization on the relationship between parenting practices and internalizing symptoms. The research findings contribute to the existing literature and advance our understanding of children’s internalizing symptoms development. Implications and future directions are discussed. Show more

Keywords: Parenting practices, victimization, negative affectivity, internalizing symptoms in children, moderated-mediation models

DOI: 10.3233/DEV-210308

Citation: International Journal of Developmental Science, vol. 15, no. 1-2, pp. 19-28, 2021

Authors: Rosenbach, Charlotte | Renneberg, Babette | Scheithauer, Herbert

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Rejection Sensitivity (RS) is defined as the disposition to anxiously expect, readily perceive, and overreact to social rejection cues. Aim of the two studies presented in this paper was to develop and administer an instrument to assess RS in a German sample of healthy (pre)adolescents as well as in a clinical sample. The English Children’s Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (CRSQ) was translated, adapted, and presented to a non-clinical sample (N = 128) (Study I) to identify psychometric properties of the instrument. In Study II, the resulting questionnaire was completed by a mixed clinical sample (N = 50). Differences in results between samples, and the relation …between rejection sensitivity and mental distress were investigated. The resulting German version of the questionnaire CRSQ (German: Fragebogen zur Zur ückweisungsempfindlichkeit f ür Kinder und Jugendliche, FZE-K ) showed good psychometric properties. Differences between samples provide insight into the diversity of the construct “rejection sensitivity”. Show more

Keywords: Children’s Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (CRSQ), psychometric properties, clinical and non-clinical sample, German translation, Fragebogen zur Zurückweisungsempfindlichkeit für Kinder und Jugendliche (FZE-K)

DOI: 10.3233/DEV-210312

Citation: International Journal of Developmental Science, vol. 15, no. 1-2, pp. 29-37, 2021

Authors: Longobardi, C. | Fabris, M.A. | Prino, L.E. | Settanni, M.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: In Europe, 82% of minors use a social network (SN). Although SNs offer opportunities for social interaction, they also involve some risks, such as online sexual victimization (OSV). As many as 39% of teenagers are estimated to be at risk of OSV. The literature suggests that risky online behaviors, such as sexting, indiscriminate expansion of SNs, and intimate and face-to-face relationships with strangers met online, can increase the risk of OSV among adolescents. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of OSV and related risk factors in a sample of early adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted …based on 310 Italian adolescents (12–14 years old) who completed the Juvenile Online Victimization Questionnaire (JOV-Q). Sixty percent of the sample reported at least one form of OSV, with males more at risk than females. Age, gender, and online risk behaviors are predictors of different kinds of OSV. In the whole sample, the most frequent kind of OSV was unwanted exposure to sexual content, followed by sexual pressure, online grooming, and sexual coercion. Sexting and indiscriminate expansion of one’s network increase the likelihood of having been the target of at least 1 OSV in the past year. Early adolescents can face a higher risk of OSV than adolescents, based on known percentages. The study of the prevalence and risk factors in this age group therefore deserves specific attention in order to design programs to prevent and combat OSV. Show more

Keywords: Online sexual victimization, online risky behavior, middle school, sexting, adolescents

DOI: 10.3233/DEV-200300

Citation: International Journal of Developmental Science, vol. 15, no. 1-2, pp. 39-46, 2021