A Study On The Relationship Of Peer Victimization, Depression, And Academic Achievement In Middle Childhood

A number of studies have suggested that the experience of peer bullying/victimization existing in all kinds of social contexts. The victims always have the problems in psychological adjustment, such as anxiety, depression, withdrawal, loneliness and so on. Therefore, victimization was broadly discussed.The present study tried to explore the relationship among victimization, depression and academic achievement in middle childhood, and examine the influence of various levels of victimization and depression on the academic achievement, and the role of depression in the longitudinal relationship between victimization and academic achievement, and the mutual predictions of those variables. Then, the influence of the stabilization victimization and depression over time to the academic achievement was also discussed. Cross-sectional and longitudinal methods were employed. Participants in an elementary school (Wuhan) from grades 4, 5 and 6 completed peer nomination questionnaires in Nov 2006 and April 2007.The findings indicated that:1 .There was significant positive correlation between victimization and depression; victimization, depression were negatively correlated with Chinese achievements, Math achievements and students' grade point average.2.There was no significant gender difference and grade difference on the initial state of victimization and depression.3.There was no significant reciprocal effect between the groups of victimization and the depression. And the victims' academic achievements were always significantly lower than the non-victims; academic achievements of the depressed children were significantly lower than that of the children without depression.4.The depression partly mediated the path of victimization to academic achievements. 5.The former victimization and depression could negatively predict academic achievements; however, the opposite paths didn't existed; and victimization of timel could positively predict depression in time 2 but depression in time 1 couldn't predict victimization in time 2.6.There was no significant difference on achievements in time 1 and time2. The continuing victims scored significantly lower than others, the non-victims scored significantly higher than others. The academic achievements of those who were continuously depressed was the lowest, the achievements of those who escaped depression were significantly lower than the non-depression's. The two times and the change groups of depression had mutual effect, the achievements in time2 of which escaped depression and non-depression were significantly higher than those in time2.