Protection mechanisms in the face of peer victimization and discrimination

Abstract

Peer victimization and discrimination, namely of ethical and sexual minorities, have a negative effect on psychosocial functioning but several studies begin to address the resilience to these adversities. In this sense, the objective of this study was to identify protective mechanisms of mental health and external maladjustment in the presence of these forms of social violence. The study was conducted with a sample of 2975 Portuguese high school students, of which 245 identified as black and 84 as gay, lesbian or bisexual. The protection mechanisms considered include low levels of anxious personality, empathy abilities, the coping strategies used, familial optimism and the relationships with the parental figures. The regression results show that racial identification and sexual orientation moderate the influence of the different forms of violence and the different protection mechanisms, suggesting support to a socio-ecological approach of resilience.