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A robust body of research has identified school transitions during adolescence, and in particular the transition from middle to high school, as one of the riskiest phases for school failure, being characterized by significant social, emotional and behavioral changes. This transition is critical even with respect to academic achievement: in Italy, the highest frequency of school dropout can be observed in the 9th and 10th grades, partly as a consequence of poor adjustment to the new school context. The impact of students' relationships with their teachers may be particularly relevant during critical developmental periods. Indeed, student-teacher relationships have been widely recognized as protective factors in school adjustment and, in case of negative relationships, also as a factor that increases the risk of maladjustment. Positive and affective student-teacher relationships may play an important role in students' adaptation to the school environment, favoring both academic achievement and adaptive behaviors. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the quality of teacher-student relationships, as perceived by pupils, on academic achievement, and problem and prosocial behaviors during the relevant school transition. The sample consisted of 122 students (55% female). We employed a self-report questionnaire to collect information on: demographic characteristics, quality of the relationship with teachers, problem and prosocial behaviors, and academic achievement. Students filled in the questionnaires twice: once during the 8th grade and 1 year later, during their first year of high school (9th grade). Regression analyses indicated that both average and varying levels of closeness with teachers significantly predicted changes in academic achievement: A perceived increase in closeness in 9th grade, as well as a higher mean closeness level, was associated with an increase in academic achievement. In turn, an increase in the level of perceived conflict with teachers significantly predicted an increase in conduct problems and hyperactive behaviors. This study supports the significance of student-teacher relationships as a protective factor during students' transition to high-school. Our findings also highlight the importance of relationship quality in preventing students' risk of school failure.

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Objective: Violence directed against teachers is a public health issue that warrants attention in research and practice. There is a growing literature on teacher-directed violence that has examined the prevalence of these incidents, yet there is considerable variation across studies. There is a need for a systematic and comprehensive review to assess the extent of the problem. Method: In the current study, we identified 5,337 articles through our initial screening process, and our final analysis included 24 studies that met criteria for this meta-analysis. We examined prevalence of violence perpetrated against teachers by students and how these rates varied by reporting time frame, reporter, and type of violence. Results: The prevalence of any type of teacher-reported violence victimization within ≤2 years ranged from 20% to 75% with a pooled prevalence of 53%. The prevalence according to a career time frame was lower, ranging from 32% to 40% with a pooled prevalence of 37.79%. Results also show variation in prevalence according to victimization type (e.g., physical attacks or theft of personal property), with lower prevalence rates for more intrusive types of victimization. Conclusions: This study represents the first meta-analysis investigating the prevalence of student violence directed against teachers. Findings provide evidence of the high rate of violence directed toward teachers, especially when accounting for both physical and nonphysical forms of violence. Teacher victimization appears to be an international problem, suggesting that the discourse by policymakers and practitioners should be framed within an international context while also considering local nuances.

Student-teacher relationships have been shown to influence bullying-related behaviors in students. This study considered the moderating role of students' social statuses in the classroom. The study sample included 435 students (48.7% females) taken from 18 Italian middle-school classrooms (i.e., sixth to eighth grade). A multigroup path analysis approach was employed to examine whether the effects of the student-teacher relationships on bullying-related behaviors differed among social statuses. The results showed that perceived conflict with the teacher was shown to have a significant positive effect on students' engagement in active bullying for students from all the statuses, except for neglected students. In particular, this effect was more relevant for rejected students. The results showed that social status and student-teacher relationships integrate and shed light on which roles are taken by young adolescents in school bullying, highlighting that it is important for the teachers to recognize these students.A growing body of literature documents the effects of student-teacher relationships (STRs) on students' development (e.g., Hamre & Pianta, 2001). The quality of student-teacher relationships has been recognized as having a positive influence on students' behaviors (e.g.,

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The aim of the study is to investigate the association between Instagram popularity and subjective happiness, and to test the mediating roles of cyber victimization and social media addiction. Methods: We recruited a sample of middle school students (N = 345; 49% males, age M: 13.31 years; SD = 1.42; range = 11-16) who reported having an active Instagram account. We collected the following data: sociodemographic data, Instagram activity indicators and followers/following counts, perceived social media addiction, cyber victimization, and subjective happiness. Results: Adolescents' followers count showed a negative indirect effect on subjective happiness via an increase in social media addiction and exposure to cyber victimization. In contrast, the following counts of adolescents show a positive indirect effect on subjective happiness via a decrease in social media addiction and exposure to cyber victimization. Conclusions: Findings seem to indicate that as adolescents become more popular on Instagram (i.e., as their followers count increases), it also increases the risk that they might develop a behavior addiction to Instagram use, and experience cyber aggressions, which in turn may have a negative impact on their psychological wellbeing. Instead, adolescents whose activity on Instagram is more passive, and less dominated by digital status seeking behaviors, may be less exposed to these negative consequences. Limits and future directions are discussed.

The sample was recruited online (145 men with a mean age of 30.0 years) and participants were asked to fill out the Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Inventory (MDDI), Symptom Cheklist-90-R (SCL-90-R), Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-II), and to provide other socio-demographic data. Bodybuilders at risk of muscle dysmorphia display greater global psychopathology and present higher scores on all SCL-90-R dimensions when compared to bodybuilders not at risk of muscle dysmorphia. Furthermore, risk of muscle dysmorphia is positively associated to dissociative symptoms. The Competitiveness dimension and anabolic steroid intake were not related to muscle dysmorphia, while age appeared to be more significant. Findings are discussed based upon previous studies and directions for future research are suggested.