Predictive relations between peer victimization and academic achievement in Chinese children.

Abstract

The goal of this study was to explore longitudinal associations between peer victimization and academic achievement in Chinese children. Participants were N = 805 3rd-grade students (486 boys, 319 girls; M(age) = 9.5 years, SD = 3 months) attending primary schools in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. At Time 1 and Time 2 (2 years later), peers nominated classmates who were victims of peer maltreatment using the Chinese version of the Revised Class Play (Chen, Rubin, & Sun, 1992), and teachers rated students' academic achievement. Among the results, peer victimization was negatively related to academic achievement at both time points. Also, peer victimization and academic achievement displayed considerable stability across the 2 years. Results from cross-lagged hierarchical analyses demonstrated that peer victimization at Grade 3 predicted lower academic achievement at Grade 5. However, academic achievement at Grade 3 was not predictive of peer victimization at Grade 5. These results suggest that peer victimization appears to function more as a precursor rather than a consequence of lower academic achievement. Results are discussed in terms of the cross-cultural similarities in the links between peer maltreatment and academic achievement and their educational implications.

A Person‐Oriented Analysis of Social Withdrawal in Chinese Children

“…An index of peer preference was then formed by subtracting negative nomination scores from the positive nomination scores (Coie, Dodge, & Coppotelli, 1982). These peer nomination procedures have been used and proved valid with Chinese children (Chen et al, 1995;Liu, Bullock, & Coplan, 2014).…”

“…To begin with, as in Western cultures, elevated but sub-clinical symptoms of internalizing problems are (in and of themselves) associated with concurrent and subsequent adjustment difficulties among Chinese children (e.g., Chen, Wang, Li, & Liu, 2014;Liu et al, 2015). Similarly, victimization and peer dislike are also substantive predictors of negative well-being in Chinese children (e.g., Chan, 2013;Liu, Bullock, et al, 2014). Moreover, academic and school difficulties are particularly problematic for Chinese children, given the extremely high value placed on academic achievement in this culture (Yang, Chen, & Wang, 2014).…”

Developmental cascade models linking peer victimization, depression, and academic achievement in Chinese children

“…For example, the experience of negative peer relationships appears to increase children's vulnerability for depression (Schwartz et al ., , ). However, depression may also affect children's abilities to positively interact with their peers, thereby increasing risk for victimization (e.g., Kochel et al ., ; Vaillancourt et al ., ), which in turn may promote academic difficulties (e.g., Liu et al ., ; Schwartz et al ., ). Depression may also directly predict lower achievement (Chen et al ., ; Riglin et al ., ), although there is also evidence to suggest that lower achievement also directly predicts future depression (e.g., Vaillancourt et al ., ; Yong et al ., ).…”

“…Results from several studies have indicated that peer victimization also predicts later academic difficulties among Western children (Iyer, Kochenderfer‐Ladd, Eisenberg, & Thompson, ; Juvonen, Wang, & Espinoza, ) and in China (Liu, Bullock, & Coplan, ). Given the aforementioned positive value placed on academic achievement in China, we further speculated that academic difficulties might also be a precursor for peer victimization.…”

“…Finally, gender differences have been reported for three of the main study variables. For example, boys are more likely to be victims of peer maltreatment than girls in China (Liu et al ., ; Schwartz, Chang, & Farver, ). Interestingly, in contrast with results from Western cultures, Chinese boys tend to report higher levels of depression than girls (Chen, Huang, Wang, & Chang, ; Chen et al ., ).…”