Psychological distress and student engagement as mediators of the relationship between peer victimization and achievement in middle school youth

Student Engagement as a Mediator Process Between Peer Victimization and Achievement at the Beginning of Middle School

BACKGROUND

Very few studies have properly identified how peer victimization is associated with lower achievement in middle or high school. In this context, this study examined how peer victimization at the beginning of middle school is linked with subsequent student achievement. Specifically, it assessed if the behavioral, affective, and cognitive dimensions of engagement in school play a mediation role in the relationship between peer victimization and student achievement.

METHODS

The sample of this study included 683 seventh graders attending 3 schools in Montreal, Canada. Students self-reported peer victimization at the beginning and end of grade 7. They also reported their levels of student engagement on the 3 dimensions (behavioral, affective, and cognitive) across 3 time points in seventh and eighth grades. Student achievement in language arts across these 2 years was also obtained through school records.

RESULTS

Peer victimization significantly predicted lower achievement over time (b = -.24, p ≤ .001). Peer victimization predicted lower achievement in grade 8 indirectly through affective student engagement (b = -.11, p < .05). Post hoc analyses showed that peer victimization still predicted lower achievement in grade 8 indirectly through a decrease in affective engagement (b = -.14, p < .05). However, when considered alone, a decrease in cognitive engagement also acted as a mediator (b = -.09, p < .05), suggesting a strong link with affective engagement.

CONCLUSION

Our findings expose the importance to promote student engagement in school and achievement for victimized youth.

Peer victimization, environmental and psychological distress, and academic performance among children in China: A serial mediation model moderated by migrant status

BACKGROUND

Despite robust evidence indicating the adverse academic, psychological, and school-related impacts of being victimized, the ways in which peer victimization indirectly affects children's academic performance by psychological and environmental distress remain poorly understood, especially in China.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to investigate how peer victimization negatively impacts academic performance via the serial mediation effects of environmental and psychological distress among migrant versus non-migrant children in China.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Participants were selected by multistage stratified cluster sampling, and data were collected with a cross-sectional survey administered in Nanjing and Guangzhou, China. The sample included 1747 students in Grades 4 to 9 (boys = 54.7 %, mean age = 11.7 years).

METHODS

Structural equation modeling and group comparison analysis were conducted to examine the hypothesized model.

RESULTS

Children's experiences with peer victimization significantly affected their academic performance and in relationships partially mediated by environmental distress (i.e., perception of school safety), followed by psychological distress (i.e., anxiety) (95 % CI: [-0.010, -0.001], B = -0.005, p < .01). The serial mediation model applied to non-migrant children only (95 % CI: [-0.026, -0.001], B = -0.008, p < .05), however, whereas environmental distress exerted a single mediating effect on the association between peer victimization and academic performance among migrant children only (95 % CI: [-0.125, -0.044], B = -0.076, p < .001).

CONCLUSION

Environmental and psychological distress exerted serial mediating effect on the association between peer victimization and academic performance. School-based comprehensive intervention programs designed for migrant versus non-migrant children are recommended.

The moderating role of emotional engagement on the relation of anger regulation with later achievement in elementary school

The objective of this study was to understand if and for whom anger regulation relates to later reading and math achievement. The sample included 267 upper elementary school students from two schools (5% Asian, 10% Black, 6% Latinx, 17% Multiethnic/Other, and 62% White; 36% dual language learner; 60% female; average age = 9.7 years). Self-reported anger regulation and self- and teacher-reported emotional engagement were assessed. Then, reading and math standardized achievement were tested by the schools approximately three months later. Latent variable path analyzes suggested that withdrawal when experiencing anger (“anger withdraw”) had a significant, positive relation with later reading and math achievement outcomes, when controlling for other anger regulation strategies and demographics. Latent student- and teacher-reported emotional engagement moderated the relation of anger withdraw with later reading achievement. Discussion centers on anger regulation, moderation, and implications of anger regulation for school psychologists.

How Can Bullying Victimisation Lead to Lower Academic Achievement? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Mediating Role of Cognitive-Motivational Factors

Bullying involvement may have an adverse effect on children’s educational outcomes, particularly academic achievement. However, the underlying mechanisms and factors behind this association are not well-understood. Previous meta-analyses have not investigated mediation factors between bullying and academic achievement. This meta-analysis examines the mediation effect of cognitive-motivational factors on the relationship between peer victimization and academic achievement. A systematic search was performed using specific search terms and search engines to identify relevant studies that were selected according to specific criteria resulting in 11 studies encompassing a sample total of 257,247 children (10 years and younger) and adolescents (11 years and older) (48–59% female). Some studies were longitudinal and some cross sectional and the assessment for each factor was performed by various methods (self, peer, teacher, school and mixed reports). Children involved in bullying behaviour were less likely to be academically engaged (k = 4) (OR = 0.571, 95% CI [0.43, 0.77], p = 0.000), to be less motivated (k = 7) (OR = 0.82, 95% CI [0.69, 0.97], p = 0.021), to have lower self-esteem (k = 1) (OR = 0.12, 95% CI [0.07, 0.20], p = 0.000) and lower academic achievement (k = 14) (OR = 0.62, 95% CI [0.49, 0.79], p = 0.000). Bullying involvement was also significantly related to overall cognitive-motivational factors (k = 17, OR = 0.67, 95% CI [0.59, 0.76], p = 0.000). Cognitive-motivational factors, taken together, mediated the association between bullying victimisation and academic achievement (k = 8, OR = 0.74, 95% CI (0.72, 0.77), p = 0.000). Bullying victimisation was negatively related to cognitive-motivational factors, which, in turn, was associated with poorer academic achievement. These findings were moderated by the design of the studies, assessment methods for the bullying reports, mediators and outcomes, country, age of children in the sample and/or types of bullying. The findings are of relevance for practitioners, parents, and schools, and can be used to guide bullying interventions. Interventions should focus on improving internal and external motivational factors including components of positive reinforcement, encouragement, and programs for enhancing academic engagement and achievement amongst children and adolescents.

Engajamento Escolar: Revisão de Literatura Abrangendo Relação Professor-Aluno e Bullying

Resumo Foi realizada uma revisão sistemática da literatura acerca da influência da relação professor-aluno e do envolvimento em bullying no engajamento escolar dos alunos, baseando-se no Protocolo PRISMA. Consultou-se as bases de dados ERIC, LILACS, PsycINFO, Scielo, Scopus, Web of Science e o Portal de Periódicos da CAPES. Foram analisados 35 artigos, apontando que a relação professor-aluno e o envolvimento em bullying estão associados ao engajamento escolar, podendo predizê-lo. Alunos que possuem relações positivas com professores tendem a apresentar maior engajamento escolar, enquanto alunos que possuem relações conflituosas com professores ou que se envolvem em bullying tendem a apresentar menor engajamento escolar. Os resultados foram inconsistentes acerca da combinação de efeitos da relação professor-aluno e do envolvimento em bullying no engajamento escolar.

Exploring multicultural classroom dynamics: A network analysis

Students' relationships with peers and teachers strongly influence their motivation to engage in learning activities. Ethnic minority students, however, are often victimized in schools, and their educational achievement lags behind that of their majority group counterparts. The aim of the present study was to explore teachers' multicultural approach within their classrooms as a possible factor of influence over students' peer relationships and motivation. We utilized the novel methodology of estimating psychological networks in order to map out the interactions between these constructs within multicultural classrooms. Results indicate that a multicultural approach is directly connected to student motivation for both ethnic majority and minority students. Social integration within peer groups, however, seems to be a possible mediator of this relationship for the ethnic minority students. Due to the hypothesis generating nature of the psychological network approach, a more thorough investigation of this generated mediation hypothesis is called for.

Influence of bullying and teacher-student relationship on school engagement: Analysis of an explanatory model

Abstract The present study investigated the influence of bullying involvement and teacher-student relationship on school engagement, through the analysis of an explanatory model. For this, 426 students (from 6th to 9th grades) from four public schools located in a city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, answered the Escala de Violência Escolar – Versão Estudante (School Violence Scale – Student Version), the Escala de Relação Professor-Aluno (Teacher – Student Relationship Scale) and the School Engagement Scale. Results from a Path Analysis indicated that bullying involvement has a direct negative impact on school engagement, and that teacher-student relationship has a direct positive impact on school engagement. Moreover, teacher-student relationship may mediate the negative effects of bullying on school engagement. These data confirm the importance of positive social relationships in school for student engagement. However, the proposed model explains 32% of the variance of school engagement, indicating that other variables not investigated in this study may also be relevant.

Peer victimization and social-emotional outcomes: The role of teacher and peer support

The relation between peer victimization, risk of social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties, and school-based sources of social support for students in elementary and middle school were examined. Participants included 656 students in third to eighth grade from one school district. Results indicated that peer support mediated the relation between peer victimization and risk of social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties, but teacher support did not mediate this relation. Conditional indirect effects analyses revealed that the indirect effect of peer support varied as a function of school level (i.e., intermediate and middle school). The implications and limitations of the current study are discussed, as well as directions for future research.

Social-psychological and educational outcomes associated with peer victimization among Korean adolescents

This study examines the effects of peer victimization by verbal, physical, and relational bullying on Korean adolescents’ self-worth, disconnect to peers, school engagement, and academic achievement. A two-year longitudinal survey on 3,266 sixth-graders attending school in Seoul, Korea was used. Multivariate regression results controlling for socio-demographic characteristics as well as initial levels of outcome indicated that youth bullied by their peers experienced greater difficulties than non-bullied peers in terms of self-worth, disconnect to peers, school engagement, and academic achievement. Results revealed that youth experiencing relational bullying suffered from large negative effects on all four adjustment outcomes and that the negative effects of bullying were generally limited to the period of victimization with little evidence for chronicity effects. Limitations as well as policy implications are further discussed.

Detrimental Effects of Workplace Bullying: Impediment of Self-Management Competence via Psychological Distress

Emotional intelligence has been linked to various positive outcomes, such as organizational effectiveness, commitment, morale, and health. In addition, longitudinal studies demonstrate that the competencies of emotional intelligence may change and be developed over time. Researchers have argued that work relationships are important for the development of emotional competence, but their usefulness depends on the quality of the relationship. Workplace bullying is considered to be one of the most stressful phenomena in the workplace and an example of a dysfunctional and toxic relationship that has detrimental effects on an individual’s physical and psychological health. Hence, the objective of the present study was to analyze the relationship linking workplace bullying, psychological distress and the self-management competence of emotional intelligence. More specifically, we tested part of the model presented by Cherniss and Goleman (2001) in which researchers argued that individual emotional intelligence is a result of relationships at work. In addition, we extended the model by proposing that the relationship between exposure to workplace bullying and the competence of self-management is explained by psychological distress. Data analysis of 326 participants from two private sector organizations in Italy demonstrated that psychological distress fully mediated the relationship between workplace bullying and the emotional intelligence ability of self-management. The present study’s findings point to the idea that, not only may emotional intelligence assist in handling exposure to workplace bullying, but exposure to workplace bullying may impede emotional intelligence via psychological distress.

The magnitude and impact of bullying among school pupils in Muscat, Oman: a cross-sectional study

Research about bullying among school pupils in the Arab/Muslim population is scarce. This study evaluates the characteristics of bullying and its impact among school pupils in Oman via cross-sectional survey among eighth grade school pupils (n = 1,229) during the academic year 2006-2007. The participants were selected using stratified random selection among 6 administrative divisions of one the governorates in the country. Data were collected using self-completed structured questionnaires. This study found similar percentages of males and females (76%) have experienced one form of bullying, and the majority of the incidents (80%) occurred in the vicinity of the school. In almost half of the cases, the bullying was initiated by a student of the same age or older than the victim. The most common type of bullying encountered in this study was verbal (47.7%), followed by misuse (45.9%), physical (43.9%), and, finally, social isolation/exclusion (22.5%). Although the failure of an academic year was uncommon among victims of bullying, the number of pupils who missed 4-6 and ≥ 7 school days was higher among bullied pupils. If this study will withstand further research, educational initiatives are needed to mitigate the rate of bullying in Oman.