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How peer victimization predicts mental well-being and disruptive behaviors: exploring serial mediating mechanisms in the digital age

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Abstract

Although the detrimental effects of peer victimization on adolescents’ developmental outcomes have been identified, the effecting mechanisms are still unclear. Thus, the current study aims to investigate how peer victimization hinders or helps adolescents’ mental well-being and disruptive behaviors when loneliness and internet addiction are concerns. A sample of 1278 middle and senior high school students in Jiangsu Province was surveyed using a self-report questionnaire to examine the proposed chain mediation model. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with maximum likelihood estimation was utilized to test the model fit using AMOS 26.0. The results showed that peer victimization was linked to mental well-being and disruptive behaviors through a greater feeling of loneliness and internet addiction. The findings demonstrated that peer victimization did not only directly affect adolescents’ mental well-being and disruptive behaviors, but also indirectly through loneliness. Besides, a chain mediating effect of loneliness and Internet addiction occurred between peer victimization and disruptive behaviors. Findings of the current study could help to offer insights for developing effective interventions for addressing peer victimization, disruptive behaviors, loneliness and internet addiction amongst adolescents.

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The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the participants involved in this study.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.: 71904080).

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  1. Department of Social Work, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Xinwen Zhang

  2. School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

    Chunkai Li & Ning Ding

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Correspondence to Chunkai Li.

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Zhang, X., Li, C. & Ding, N. How peer victimization predicts mental well-being and disruptive behaviors: exploring serial mediating mechanisms in the digital age. Curr Psychol 42, 31634–31645 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-04187-4

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