How Do Victimized Youth Emotionally and Socially Appraise Common Ways Third-Party Peers Intervene?

Adolescents targeted for peer aggression are at risk of emotion dysregulation and social withdrawal-responses that predict increased victimization and impede the protective factors of peer support. This study examined victimized youth's emotions and social appraisals following four common third-party peer actions. African American, European American, Mexican American, and Native American adolescents ( = 257, 53% female, = 15 years) described their emotions and appraisals of third-party peer actions after the participants had been targets of peer aggression. As hypothesized, emotional well-being, indexed by low levels of internalizing emotions and high levels of positive emotions, was greater after third-parties tried to help participants calm their emotions and resolve problems than after third-parties amplified participants' anger or avenged the victimized participants. Emotional well-being was greater after third-party revenge than after third-parties amplified participants' anger. Participants also reported calming, resolving and to a lesser extent third-party revenge, were more helpful, valued, and evoked a greater desire to reciprocate than anger amplification. Few ethnic differences were found. We consider how positive emotions and social appraisals of third-party actions are likely to increase well-being for victimized youth. The findings emphasize the need for specificity in how researchers and practitioners categorize third-party peer actions. Encouraging the types of action that are most appreciated by victimized youth might help adolescents be more effective sources of support in the context of peer aggression.