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Updated: Feb 8, 2026

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Bidirectional Associations Between Relational and Physical Peer Victimization and Sleep Disturbance Among Boys and

Kat Lell Wright1, Paula J Fite2

  • 1Clinical Child Psychology Program, 2015 Dole Human Development Center, University of Kansas, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA. Katwright@ku.edu.

Child Psychiatry and Human Development
|February 7, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Peer victimization, especially physical, can disrupt children's sleep. Sleep disturbances may also increase the risk of experiencing peer victimization, highlighting a potential two-way street in late childhood.

Area of Science:

  • Child psychology
  • Developmental psychology
  • Sleep science

Background:

  • Peer victimization and sleep disturbances are common in childhood and linked to negative outcomes.
  • Longitudinal, bidirectional links between peer victimization and sleep disturbance are understudied, especially in late childhood.
  • Gender differences in these associations remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the longitudinal, bidirectional associations between peer victimization and sleep disturbance in children aged 8-11.
  • To explore potential gender differences in these relationships.

Main Methods:

  • 175 children (grades 3-5) completed measures of peer victimization and sleep disturbance at two time points, 6 months apart.
  • Statistical analyses examined predictive relationships between physical and relational victimization and sleep disturbance.

Main Results:

  • Physical victimization at Time 1 significantly predicted increased sleep disturbance at Time 2.
  • Sleep disturbance at Time 1 showed a marginally significant association with later physical victimization.
  • No significant longitudinal associations were found between relational victimization and sleep disturbance.
  • Similar patterns were observed for both boys and girls.

Conclusions:

  • Physical peer victimization poses a risk for developing sleep disturbances in late childhood.
  • A potential bidirectional relationship exists between physical victimization and sleep disturbance.
  • Relational victimization does not appear to have a longitudinal impact on sleep, or vice versa.
  • Findings suggest similar effects for boys and girls, indicating no significant gender differences in these specific associations.

Keywords:
GenderPeer victimizationSleep disturbances

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