Children's beliefs about peer relations: Links to peer rejection, depression, aggression, and the beliefs of parents and teachers

The primary aim of this study was to examine the role of children's beliefs about peer relations (self-perceived social competence, negative view of peers, and causal attributions for negative peer interactions) in the association between peer rejection and adjustment problems, specifically children's depressive symptoms and aggressive behavior. The secondary aim was to examine the influence of parents' and teachers' beliefs on children's beliefs about peer relations. Data were collected from 594 fourth- and fifth-grade children and their parents, teachers, and peers. Using path analysis, children's self-perceived social competence and negative view of peers were found to partially mediate the concurrent relations between peer rejection and both depressive symptoms and aggressive behavior. Children's attributions for negative peer interactions were not found to mediate these relations. Parent-reported, but not teacher-reported, social competence and negative view of peers were related to children's corresponding beliefs. In general, parents' and teachers' attributions did not relate to children's attributions.