Extensive research has consistently shown an association between relational victimization and internalizing problems among adolescents. However, limited information is available about the underlying peer status related factors that may mediate or moderate this association. Using a short-term longitudinal design with a six-month interval between the two waves, this study examined whether popularity status insecurity mediated the associations between relational victimization and internalizing problems and whether this mediational process was moderated by popularity status among 447 (250 girls) Chinese 7th and 8th graders. The findings of this study show that popularity status insecurity mediated the longitudinal associations between relational victimization and the two internalizing problems, depressive symptoms and anxiety, but only for adolescents with relatively low popularity. This study reveals the moderated mediation processes explaining the impact of relational victimization on adolescents’ mental health.
