TY - JOUR
T1 - Mediating Effects of Hopefulness in the Relationship Between Different Forms of Peer Victimization and Adolescents’ Emotional Dysfunction
AU - Nixon, Charisse
AU - Brown, Wilson
AU - Frausel, Rebecca R.
AU - Hodge, James J.
AU - Michael, Ava E.
AU - Hetzel-Riggin, Melanie
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Peer victimization is a pervasive problem that contributes to increased emotional dysfunction (e.g., loneliness, depression, helplessness) in children and adolescents. Importantly, not all students respond to peer victimization the same way. The current study examined the role of hopefulness as a possible protective mechanism that mediates the relationship between different forms of peer victimization (i.e., relational; RV and physical; PV) and emotional dysfunction among adolescents. One hundred eleven adolescents (M age = 11.4 years; 54% male) completed measures assessing hopefulness, emotional dysfunction, and exposure to RV and PV. Mediation analyses revealed significant direct effects for RV and PV on emotional dysfunction. However, when adding hopefulness as a mediator, these effects were diminished, suggesting partial mediation. Findings revealed that hopefulness partially explains the relationship between both forms of peer victimization and emotional dysfunction. Results suggest that targeting students’ hopefulness may serve as a protective mechanism to reduce the negative impacts of relational and physical peer victimization on adolescents’ emotional dysfunction. Implications for prevention and intervention work are discussed.
AB - Peer victimization is a pervasive problem that contributes to increased emotional dysfunction (e.g., loneliness, depression, helplessness) in children and adolescents. Importantly, not all students respond to peer victimization the same way. The current study examined the role of hopefulness as a possible protective mechanism that mediates the relationship between different forms of peer victimization (i.e., relational; RV and physical; PV) and emotional dysfunction among adolescents. One hundred eleven adolescents (M age = 11.4 years; 54% male) completed measures assessing hopefulness, emotional dysfunction, and exposure to RV and PV. Mediation analyses revealed significant direct effects for RV and PV on emotional dysfunction. However, when adding hopefulness as a mediator, these effects were diminished, suggesting partial mediation. Findings revealed that hopefulness partially explains the relationship between both forms of peer victimization and emotional dysfunction. Results suggest that targeting students’ hopefulness may serve as a protective mechanism to reduce the negative impacts of relational and physical peer victimization on adolescents’ emotional dysfunction. Implications for prevention and intervention work are discussed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85165548405&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85165548405&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s42380-023-00184-8
DO - 10.1007/s42380-023-00184-8
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85165548405
SN - 2523-3653
JO - International Journal of Bullying Prevention
JF - International Journal of Bullying Prevention
ER -