Peer Aggression and Conflictual Teacher-Student Relationships: A Meta-Analysis

Psychological maltreatment by teachers and peer victimization in Chinese youth: Depression and aggression as mediators

BACKGROUND

Psychological maltreatment by teachers and peer victimization are significant public health issues among youth. However, few studies have verified transactional associations between psychological maltreatment by teachers and peer victimization at the within-person level and the mediating roles of depression and aggression have yet to be fully evaluated.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the transactional associations between psychological maltreatment by teachers and peer victimization from middle childhood to early adolescence, separating within- and between-person variation. The study also examined whether youth's depression and aggression mediated the associations.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A total of 4945 Chinese youth (Mage = 9.92 years, SD = 0.73 53 % boys) completed a packet of measures on five occasions at 6-month intervals from May of 2017 to May of 2019.

METHODS

Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models (RI-CLPMs) were used to distinguish between- and within-person effects.

RESULTS

The results indicated that: (a) Psychological maltreatment by teachers predicted peer victimization, and vice versa; (b) Depression (but not aggression) mediated the associations from peer victimization to psychological maltreatment by teachers.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings supported bidirectional spillover effects between adverse teacher-student and peer interactions and demonstrated at the within-person level that such effects were transmitted indirectly via youth's depression.

Unfair teachers, unhappy students: longitudinal associations of perceived teacher relational unfairness with adolescent peer aggression and school satisfaction

Introduction

Teacher relational unfairness is a significant risk factor for students' physical and mental well-being, especially during adolescence. However, school psychology research has not yet fully analyzed the links between teacher unfairness and important indicators of school experience and wellbeing, including peer aggression and school satisfaction. Even less evidence does exist with longitudinal, multilevel data.

Methods

The present study tested the prospective relations between Fall perceived teacher unfairness and Spring reactive and proactive aggression, and school satisfaction. At T1, participants were 1,299 students (48.3% girls, mean age = 13.6 years, SD = 1.1) attending 67 classrooms in Italian public schools, whereas 1,227 students participated in the second wave 6 months later.

Results

Multilevel regressions showed that, at the individual level, T1 perceived teacher unfairness positively predicted T2 reactive and proactive aggression, and negatively predicted school satisfaction. At the class-level, T1 class teacher unfairness explained between-class variability in T2 school satisfaction, but not variability in peer aggression.

Discussion

The findings expand current knowledge about the role of teacher unfairness with the classroom and have implications for interventions at school.

Relational and physical aggression in preschool-age children: Associations with teacher, parent, sibling, and peer relationship quality

Early childhood relationships with teachers, parents, siblings, and peers are foundational factors for later social functioning. High rates of childhood aggression have been associated with negative developmental consequences, however, the associations between child aggression on the quality of these formative relationships have not been studied extensively. In a sample of young children attending preschool (N = 114, Mage = 46.27 months, SD = 9.94, 40% girls), this study investigated associations between early childhood relational and physical aggression and the quality of concurrent teacher-child and parent-child closeness and conflict, sibling relationship quality, and positive peer interactions and peer rejection. Early childhood relational and physical aggression was associated with negative teacher-child relationships, and this was true for boys and girls. Differential patterns of prediction were found for relational and physical aggression on the other relationship variables. Relational aggression strongly predicted more positive peer interactions, whereas physical aggression predicted fewer positive peer interactions and greater peer rejection. Early childhood relational aggression predicted higher levels of teacher-child closeness, whereas physical aggression predicted lower levels of teacher-child closeness and fewer positive sibling interactions. These findings challenge common perceptions that aggression is negatively associated with relationship quality. Notably, relational aggression relative to physical aggression may be associated with some favorable relationship outcomes. We did not find support for an additive model of aggression whereby children who were both relationally and physically aggressive (co-morbid) were at higher risk for negative relationship quality. Implications of these findings for future research and prevention and intervention are discussed.

Is teacher preference associated with aggressive behavior among Chinese adolescents: The mediating role of peer rejection and rejection sensitivity

Few studies have explored the potential impact of teacher preferences on students' peer relationships and their broader psycho-behavioral growth from the perspective of classroom peer ecology. To remedy this research gap, this study hypothesized and tested a serial mediation model in which teacher preference is related to adolescents' aggressive behavior via the indirect paths of forming peer rejection and shaping rejection sensitivity. Using a longitudinal design, two-wave data were obtained from 2270 Chinese adolescents (initial age = 13.93 ± 0.59, 50.7% boys) over 6 months. The results revealed that teacher preference was negatively associated with aggressive behavior in adolescents, and the mediation model indicated peer rejection and rejection sensitivity served as serial mediators between this link. Additionally, the current study examined the unique affiliations of anxiety and anger about rejection with aggressive behavior respectively, with results supporting them as distinct constructs and highlighting the significance of research integrating both forms of rejection sensitivity. Differences were also identified regarding the role of anxious rejection sensitivity in predicting proactive and reactive aggressive behaviors. The educational implications of these findings and directions for forthcoming research were discussed.

The longitudinal associations among student externalizing behaviors, teacher-student relationships, and classroom engagement

Personal characteristics and classroom environment features both play important roles in predicting students' levels of classroom engagement. The present study took a person-environment transaction perspective to investigate how factors at both the personal (i.e., student externalizing behaviors) and relational (i.e., teacher-student relationships) levels jointly predict the development of classroom engagement behaviors in a sample of 784 elementary school students. Using a longitudinal cross-lagged model spanning across Grade 3 to Grade 5, we found a negative reciprocal association between teacher-student relationships and externalizing behaviors, such that a more positive teacher-student relationship predicted fewer externalizing behaviors in the subsequent academic year, and fewer externalizing behaviors predicted a more positive teacher-student relationship 1 year later. In addition, externalizing behaviors directly negatively predicted subsequent classroom engagement, whereas teacher-student relationships indirectly predicted subsequent classroom engagement by way of externalizing behaviors. Overall, students with more externalizing behaviors experienced more conflicts with and received less support from their teachers, which predicted the development of more externalizing behaviors and lower subsequent classroom engagement.

The student-teacher relationship and ADHD symptomatology: A meta-analysis

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) typically experience significant academic and social impairments, including problem behaviors in the classroom. Existing research suggests students who present with ADHD symptoms are more likely to have relationships with their teachers that are low in closeness and high in conflict. However, research about the quality of relationships between teachers and students with ADHD symptoms remains quantitatively un-synthesized. The present meta-analysis quantitatively describes the overall quality of student-teacher relationships for children who present with ADHD symptoms according to the relational dimensions of closeness and conflict. Database searches of PsycInfo, ERIC, and ProQuest (theses and dissertations) were conducted to collect a sample of 27 quantitative studies for statistical analyses. A total of 47 effect sizes (N = 17,236) were included in the analyses. Results confirm the trends seen in the literature. Children with symptoms of ADHD tended to have relationships with their teachers that were low in closeness (r = -0.170) and high in conflict (r = 0.414). Additionally, eight moderator analyses were conducted (i.e., grade level, informant types, informant consistency, sample type, reported comorbidity, gender, and ADHD presentation) to assess their effect on the link between ADHD symptoms and student-teacher relationship quality. The results of this meta-analysis provide insight into the quality of relationships that students who exhibit ADHD symptoms form with their teachers also may inform intervention programs that aim to best support students.

Longitudinal relationships between school assets, traditional bullying, and internet gaming disorder: the role of self-control and intentional self-regulation among Chinese adolescents

Introduction

Although developmental assets have been proven to be enabling factors for both adolescent traditional bullying and internet gaming disorder (IGD), there is a lack of empirical evidence that has investigated the direct relationship between school assets and both of these problematic behaviors concurrently. Based on the positive youth development (PYD) perspective, the present study aimed to explore the relationship between school assets, intentional self-regulation (ISR), self-control, traditional bullying, and IGD among Chinese adolescents.

Methods

A total of 742 middle school students (M_age = 13.88 years, SD = 1.99 years) were followed up to measure school assets, ISR, self-control, traditional bullying, and IGD in two waves that were separated by 5 months.

Results

Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that T1 school assets negatively predicted T2 traditional bullying and T2 IGD. T1 self-control significantly mediated the relationships between T1 school assets and T2 traditional bullying, as well as between T1 school assets and T2 IGD. Additionally, T1 ISR strengthened the positive effect of T1 school assets on T1 self-control and further moderated the two mediating paths.

Discussion

These findings show that plentiful school assets support the development of self-control and are more successful in reducing traditional bullying and IGD, particularly among students with higher ISR. As a result, schools should take measures to provide superior-quality assets for the positive development of youth, which will help to prevent and relieve traditional bullying and IGD in the school context.

The role of aggression and maladjustment in the teacher-student relationship on burnout in secondary school teachers

Introduction

Multiple studies have examined the individual and socio-demographic variables that can contribute to the development of burnout in teachers. Although the evidence supports that this syndrome is generated through the interaction between the aspects of the organization and those of the person, little attention has been spent on the impact of the teacher-student relationship adjustment and, especially, on the role of violence exercised by students or their families toward secondary school teachers, who seem to be more vulnerable than teaching professionals in general.

Objective

To analyze the role of the possible mismatch in the student-teacher relationship, as well as, the physical and verbal violence toward teachers from pupils or their parents, on the professional wear of high school educators.

Materials and methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out on a teacher sample (n = 677) in Aragón, Spain, through a questionnaire with socio-demographic data; the “Maslach Burnout Inventory” (MBI), “Areas of Worklife Scale,” the “Fears and Rejection in Education Questionnaire” (FREQ), and a list of the possible aggressions received in the development of the teaching activity.

Results

While 3.8% of teachers have been a victim of physical attacks, 34.9% have suffered verbal abuse at least once. Although physical violence is extremely rare (and low intensity), verbal victimization or threats are associated with burnout in a highly significant manner, which confirms previous findings about school violence and burnout. Also, FEAR and REJECTION dimensions, defined as discomfort, tension, anxiety, and pressure caused by pupils, which contributed considerably on two dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion and cynicism). Different covariates such as maladjustment in the teacher-pupil relationship, violence experienced at work, and complaints received explain the 56.4% variance of exhaustion, 48.8% variance in cynicism, and 35.5% for efficacy.

Conclusion

Very different variables can contribute to the development of burnout syndrome, both personal, and organizational variables. Therefore, when designing prevention programs in each work environment, the possible areas of risk and the interactions between them must be considered.

School assets and bullying in Chinese youth: A multiple mediation model of intentional self-regulation and internet gaming disorder

Bullying is a severe social problem affecting young people all over the world. Previous studies suggested that engagement in bullying had massive effects on teenagers' physical and psychological development. It is critical and necessary to investigate the antecedents and underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon among young generations. The present study, based on the positive youth development perspective and the developmental assets theory, attempts to explore the positive factors in the school subsystem that could effectively prevent adolescents from bullying, as well as the multiple mediation effects of intentional self-regulation (ISR) and internet gaming disorder (IGD). In this study, we adopted a two-wave design and recruited a sample of 768 Chinese adolescents using a randomized cluster sampling method in the post-pandemic era. The results revealed that T1 school assets significantly and negatively predicted T2 adolescent bullying. Furthermore, T2 ISR and T2 IGD mediated the association between T1 school assets and T2 bullying separately and sequentially. Overall, school resources play a protective role in adolescent development and could effectively prevent them from negative outcomes. These current findings contribute to the literature by providing a further understanding of the direct and indirect protective effects of school assets on adolescent bullying. Moreover, practitioners could also benefit from these findings in preventing and intervening in bullying in the school subsystem.