Children's and adolescents' anticipated disclosures to mothers about harming and being harmed by a friend.

This study examined children and adolescents' anticipated disclosure to their mothers regarding hypothetical situations of harming and being harmed by a friend, along with their expectations about their mothers' responses. A total of 196 participants (92 boys, 104 girls) across three age groups (Mages = 8.57, 12.47, 17.58 years, respectively) considered two hypothetical scenarios in which they were described as harming or being harmed by a friend (order counterbalanced). Overall, participants were more likely to expect (a) disclosing and (b) receiving more supportive responses and fewer negative judgments when they described being harmed compared to harming a friend. Surprisingly, however, participants expected their mothers' responses to be more helpful when they had harmed a friend. Finally, participants who expected their mothers' responses to be more helpful were more likely to anticipate disclosing future incidents of peer harm, although this association was moderated by age and gender. Overall, the findings suggest that anticipated maternal responses that may foster supportive environments can encourage openness when discussing emotionally laden experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).