BackgroundChildren with developmental language disorder (DLD) experience higher levels of peer victimization than their peers. However, it is not known if such associations reflect genetic and environmental confounding. We used a co‐twin control design to investigate the association of language difficulties (DLD and separately poor pragmatic language) with peer victimization and compare the developmental trajectories of peer victimization across adolescence for those with and without language difficulties.MethodsParticipants were 3,400 pairs of twins in the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS), a UK‐based population birth cohort. Language abilities were assessed via online tests at age 11 and peer victimization was self‐reported at ages 11, 14 and 16. Language difficulties were defined as language abilities at least −1.25 SD below the mean of the TEDS sample. We performed linear regressions and latent growth curve modeling at a population level and within monozygotic and same‐sex dizygotic twin pairs.ResultsAt population level, youth with DLD experienced higher levels of peer victimization at ages 11 (β = 0.27, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.20–0.35), 14 (β = 0.15, 95% CI 0.03–0.27) and 16 (β = 0.17, 95% CI 0.03–0.32) and a sharper decline in peer victimization between ages 11 and 16 compared to their peers without DLD. The associations between DLD and peer victimization were reduced in strength and not statistically significant in within‐twin models. Moreover, there was no difference in the rate of change in peer victimization between twin pairs discordant for DLD. Results were similar for the association of poor pragmatic language with peer victimization.ConclusionsAssociations between language difficulties (DLD and separately, poor pragmatic language) and peer victimization were confounded by genetic and shared environmental factors. Identifying specific factors underlying these associations is important for guiding future work to reduce peer victimization among adolescents with language difficulties.

中文翻译：

---

青春期发育性语言障碍与同伴受害的并行和纵向关联：来自双胞胎研究的证据

背景 患有发展性语言障碍 (DLD) 的儿童比同龄人遭受同伴伤害的程度更高。然而，尚不清楚这种关联是否反映了遗传和环境的混杂因素。我们使用双生对照设计来调查语言困难（DLD 和较差的实用语言）与同伴受害之间的关联，并比较有和没有语言困难的人在青春期受同伴受害的发展轨迹。方法参与者是 3,400 对双胞胎在双胞胎早期发育研究（TEDS）中，这是一项基于英国的人口出生队列。语言能力在 11 岁时通过在线测试进行评估，并在 11、14 和 16 岁时自我报告同伴受害情况。语言困难被定义为语言能力至少为 -1.25标清低于 TEDS 样本的平均值。我们在人口水平以及同卵双胞胎和同性异卵双胞胎中进行了线性回归和潜在生长曲线建模。结果在人口水平上，患有 DLD 的青少年在 11 岁时经历了更高水平的同伴受害（β = 0.27，95% 置信区间（ CI) 0.20–0.35)、14 (β = 0.15, 95% CI 0.03–0.27) 和 16 (β = 0.17, 95% CI 0.03–0.32)，与同龄人相比，11 岁至 16 岁之间的同龄人受害程度急剧下降没有DLD。在双胞胎模型中，DLD 和同伴受害之间的关联强度有所减弱，并且在统计上不显着。此外，DLD 不一致的双胞胎之间同伴受害的变化率没有差异。不良实用语言与同伴受害之间的关联结果相似。结论语言困难（DLD 和单独的不良实用语言）与同伴受害之间的关联受到遗传和共同环境因素的影响。确定这些关联背后的具体因素对于指导未来减少语言障碍青少年同伴受害的工作非常重要。