Discrepant reports of youth victimization as useful information: Examining parent-youth (dis)agreement across contexts

Background: Epidemiological literature highlights poor agreement between parents and youths on ratings of youth victimization, with lower prevalence rates for parent report (e.g., Richters & Martinez, 1993). Although informant discrepancies pose interpretive dilemmas, discrepant reports may also provide useful information. For example, discrepancies may suggest parental unawareness of youth victimization or reflect variations in victimization contexts. This study examines heterogeneity in parent-youth discrepancies and explores informant agreement across contexts (setting) of victimization.

Method: This study examines parent-youth informant agreement in reports of victimization across three contexts: neighborhood, home, and school. The sample included youth (ages 8-12; N=434) and their mothers located in Baltimore, Maryland communities with low, moderate, or high levels of neighborhood crime.

Results: For cases in which one or both informants reported victimization, the occurrence of victimization was most commonly reported by youths only, followed by mothers only, and rarely reported by both informants. One exception to this trend was for reports of the youth being shot or stabbed, as 94% of dyads reporting this serious form of victimization demonstrated agreement. In our final analyses we will examine concordance specific to home, neighborhood, and school settings.

Conclusion: Informant disagreement likely depends on the severity and setting of the victimization incident (e.g., whether the victimization can be concealed from parents). Further, several dyads were typified by mothers only reporting youth victimization, and this type of discrepant dyad has been overlooked in the literature. Implications of these findings for screening and delivery of interventions for victimized youths will be discussed.