Physical and relational victimization and school adjustment: The impact of coping strategies and disconnection

The current investigation was conducted to better understand of the effects of relational and physical forms of peer harassment on school adjustment, as well as to examine the impact of children's disconnection and coping strategies on the relation between victimization and school adjustment. 292 fourth graders (150 girls) from the Minneapolis public school district participated in this short-term longitudinal study. The findings suggest that both relational and physical victimization can negatively impact children's academic performance and student engagement. Evidence was also found for the differential effects of these forms of victimization on children's engagement, academic performance, and disconnection. Disconnection and the use of aggression, internalizing behaviors, and seeking a friend's support in response to victimization were negatively associated with children's academic performance and engagement. Gender, sense of disconnection, and coping response did not moderate the effects of relational and physical victimization on children's student engagement and academic performance. The implications of these findings are discussed.