COVID-19 highlighted the importance of schools for child health, as emerging data suggest that pandemic-related school closures may have led to worsening child health and exacerbated health disparities. This study examines school-aged children’s well-being, and characterizes changes in school-related needs, from 2021 to 2022. This is a secondary analysis of a longitudinal cohort study, where a nationally representative sample of parents of school-aged children were surveyed in June 2021 and 2022. The percentage of children with deficits in total difficulties, hyperactivity, and prosocial behavior decreased at follow-up, while a high percentage of children continued to experience peer problems. At least one school-related need remained for most parents. Highest priority needs were academic enrichment, socialization, physical activity, tutoring, and coping with stress. Academic support and social-emotional well-being remained major parental concerns, with social development showing significant deficit. Improvements in child well-being were experienced unequally across demographic groups.
This content will become publicly available on February 5, 2025
Peer victimization predicts the development of mental health symptoms in the transition to adolescence, but it is unclear whether and how parents and school environments can buffer this link.
We analyzed two-year longitudinal data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, involving a diverse sample of 11 844 children across the United States (average at baseline = 9.91 years; standard deviation = 0.63; range = 8.92–11.08; complete case sample = 8385). Longitudinal associations between peer victimization and two-year changes in mental health symptoms of major depression disorder (MDD), separation anxiety (SA), prodromal psychosis (PP), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were examined including a wide range of covariates. Mixed linear models were used to test for the moderating effects of parental warmth and prosocial school environment.
20% of children experienced peer victimization. Higher exposure to peer victimization was associated with increases in MDD, SA, and ADHD symptoms. Parental warmth was associated with decreases in MDD symptoms but did not robustly buffer the link between peer victimization and mental health symptoms. Prosocial school environment predicted decreases in PP symptoms and buffered the link between peer victimization and MDD symptoms but amplified the link between peer victimization and SA and ADHD symptoms.
Peer victimization is associated with increases in mental health symptoms during the transition to adolescence. Parental warmth and prosocial school environments might not be enough to counter the negative consequences of peer victimization on all mental health outcomes.
- Award ID(s):
- 1944644
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10530183
- Publisher / Repository:
- Cambridge University Press
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Psychological Medicine
- ISSN:
- 0033-2917
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1 to 16
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Abstract The present study examined strategies for coping with peer victimization as predictors of peer victimization experiences and broader peer relationship outcomes across the transition to middle school, and tested for possible gender differences in these associations. Participants included 123 early adolescents (
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