MEDIATING AND MODERATING FACTORS IN ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN PHYSICAL AND RELATIONAL VICTIMIZATION AND SOCIAL AND ACADEMIC COMPETENCE AMONG URBAN ADOLESCENTS

Peer victimization is prevalent among school-aged youth and is associated with difficulties including decreased academic and social competence. Although relations between victimization and academic and social competence have been examined, fewer studies have considered how underlying processes linki...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Ulmer, Lisa
Format: Others
Published: VCU Scholars Compass 2011
Subjects:
Online Access:http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/2446
http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3445&context=etd
Description
Summary:Peer victimization is prevalent among school-aged youth and is associated with difficulties including decreased academic and social competence. Although relations between victimization and academic and social competence have been examined, fewer studies have considered how underlying processes linking these constructs are related or whether relations differ for adolescent subgroups. The current study’s purpose was to examine potential mediating and moderating effects in associations between physical and relational victimization and academic and social competence. Participants included a predominantly African American sample of 271 adolescents participating in a longitudinal violence prevention project. Path models showed significant negative associations between teacher-rated physical victimization and academic and social competence, between student-rated relational victimization and academic competence and teacher-rated relational victimization and social competence. Only learning disability status in the teacher-rated victimization model moderated relations between victimization and competence. No mediating effects were found. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed.