Consequences of depression can be detrimental, and adolescents who are victimized by their peers are at-risk for developing depressive symptoms. The link between depression and peer victimization is relatively strong, but social support may be a protective factor for peer victims. The main purpose of this study was to examine the buffering effects of perceived social support from various sources against the manifestation of depressive symptoms for peer victims. Five hundred forty-four 7^th and 8^th graders from 3 middle schools completed a survey assessing depressive symptoms, peer victimization experiences, and perceived social support from parents, teachers, classmates, and a close friend. Perceived social support from parents and perceived social support from a close friend were found to buffer the manifestation of depressive symptoms for male peer victims. No buffering effects were found for female peer victims.

A secondary goal of this study was to investigate whether a perceived power disadvantage with the perpetrator (i.e., the victims' perception that the perpetrator is more popular, smarter, or physically stronger than they) would identify a more vulnerable subgroup of peer victims. Students who experienced frequent peer victimization and a perceived power disadvantage with their perpetrator did not differ significantly from students who experienced frequent peer victimization and no perceived power disadvantage with their perpetrator on depressive symptoms and perceived social support from parents, teachers, and a close friend. Implications of these findings, limitations of the study, and future directions are discussed.