Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 28, 2026

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
Testosterone, cortisol, and bullying perpetration in adolescents: The moderating role of peer victimization
Esther Calvete1, Izaskun Orue1, Nerea Cortazar-Enciondo1
1Department of Psychology, University of Deustohttps://ror.org/00ne6sr39, Spain.
Abstract:
Research on the joint role of testosterone and cortisol in aggression has produced inconsistent results, with limited attention to adolescence, a stage characterized by considerable hormonal changes, and to the distinction between within-and between-person effects. This study examined whether peer victimization moderates testosterone-cortisol associations with bullying perpetration in adolescents. Assessed at three 3-month intervals, participants (471 adolescents, Mage = 14.97, SD = 0.70; 47.1% female) reported bullying perpetration and victimization and provided saliva samples for the analysis of hormones. Random-intercept cross-lagged panel models revealed a three-way interaction (testosterone × cortisol × victimization). Increases in testosterone predicted changes in bullying perpetration when cortisol decreased. These effects were moderated by victimization. When victimization was below average, testosterone increases predicted more bullying perpetration; when it was above average, testosterone increases predicted less perpetration. These findings highlight that peer victimization shapes how testosterone-cortisol interactions influence adolescent aggression, underscoring the interplay of biological and contextual factors in adolescent adaptation.
Related Concept Videos
Bullying
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
Conduct Disorder
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping

