Bidirectional spillover between maladaptive parenting and peer victimization and the mediating roles of internalizing and externalizing problems: A within-person analysis among Chinese early adolescents

Abstract

Parenting practices and relationships with peers are crucial aspects of youth socialization. Although theoretically expected reciprocal associations between changes in maladaptive parenting and adolescent peer victimization exist, there is a lack of studies that examine this link and address the mediating mechanisms at the within-person level. This longitudinal study examined reciprocal relations between peer victimization and two types of maladaptive parenting including harsh punishment and psychological control, and the potential mediating roles of internalizing and externalizing problems within these relations, by disentangling between- and within-person effects. A total of 4,731 Chinese early adolescents (44.9% girls; M age = 10.91 years, SD = 0.72) participated in a four-wave longitudinal study with 6-month intervals. The results of random intercept cross-lagged panel modeling showed: (a) harsh punishment did not directly predict peer victimization, and vice versa; (b) psychological control directly predicted peer victimization, and vice versa; (c) psychological control indirectly predicted peer victimization via internalizing problems, and peer victimization also indirectly predicted psychological control via internalizing problems. These findings provide evidence of a bidirectional spillover effect between psychological control and peer victimization at the within-person level, suggesting Chinese early adolescents may become caught in a vicious cycle directly or indirectly via their internalizing problems.

Protective and Risk Factors of Peer Victimization among Adolescents: A Perspective from Victims

“…In addition, on the premise that social capital such as popularity and friendship among peers is a powerful weapon against victimization, adolescents with internalizing problems are in unfavorable situations because they are more likely to have difficulties building up their interpersonal network. In the study on peer victimization and its relationship to parenting style, Zhou and colleagues discovered the mediation role of internalizing difficulties, which significantly predicts the likelihood of peer abuse at a within-person level [19]. Another study also confirmed the results, suggesting that adolescents with internalizing problems tend to be viewed as less amiable and socially incompetent among peer groups and accordingly be treated as weak targets by aggressors [4].…”

“…Parental style significantly shapes children's traits and behaviors, for example, self-competence, extrovert versus introvert personality, and social skills which are closely related to the interpersonal connection. There is a bidirectional prediction between parental psychological control and peer victimization [19]. As explained by self-determination theory, psychological control stifles adolescents' ability of autonomy, and satisfaction with relationships, leading to psycho-social malfunctioning [22].…”