The Role of Teachers&#x02019; Strategies for Managing Aggression in the Association Between Peer Victimization and Loneliness Among Chinese Adolescents

Bian Xiaohua; Jin Guomin; Sun Yan; Liu Junsheng

doi:10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20250301

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Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2025, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (3) : 514-523. DOI: 10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20250301

The Role of Teachers’ Strategies for Managing Aggression in the Association Between Peer Victimization and Loneliness Among Chinese Adolescents

Bian Xiaohua¹, Jin Guomin², Sun Yan², Liu Junsheng^2,3

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Abstract

Peer victimization is defined as repeated and purposeful aggression directed toward an individual by one or more peers who possess a greater degree of power. It has been recognized as a pervasive social issue affecting children and adolescents across diverse schools, cultures, and countries. Globally, approximately one third of students (32%) reported experiencing peer victimization in school settings. Results from numerous studies have indicated that peer victimization is a risk factor for various maladjustment problems among adolescents, including physical health problems (e.g., suicidal ideation and behaviors), psychological maladjustment (e.g., anxiety, depressive symptoms), and poor academic functioning (e.g., poor academic performance, school avoidance). One of the pervasive consequences of peer victimization is heightened feelings of loneliness. Although empirical evidence has consistently linked peer victimization to increased loneliness in children and adolescents, not all victimized youth experience loneliness to the same extent. This variability suggests the existence of protective factors that may buffer against the adverse emotional consequences of victimization. Previous studies have explored both individual (e.g., coping resolution strategies) and peer-level factors (e.g., peer support) that may moderate this relation. Little is known about how teachers’ victimization-related beliefs and strategies may influence the relation between peer victimization and loneliness. This may particularly be the case in Chinese schools, where head teachers serve as the sole authority and are responsible for setting the rules and regulating students’ behaviors. Gest et al. (2014) posited two types of teachers’ strategies for managing aggression: managing aggressive behavior strategies and promoting prosocial behavior strategies. Managing aggressive behavior strategies are teachers’ direct efforts to prevent and intervene students’ aggression, whereas promoting prosocial behavior strategies is a relatively indirect way of reducing aggression by creating positive roles for both bullies and victims or helping them develop alternative behaviors in classroom. Both managing aggressive behavior strategies and promoting prosocial behavior strategies are associated with declined victimization. An important question remains unaddressed: can these strategies buffer against levels of loneliness for bullied adolescents? To date, no study has been conducted to examine the effects of teachers’ strategies for managing aggression on the association between peer victimization and loneliness.
This study examined the moderating role of two types of teachers’ strategies for managing aggression (i.e., managing aggressive behavior strategies, promoting prosocial behavior strategies) in the association between peer victimization and loneliness among Chinese adolescents. Participants were 1,429 students (41% girls, M_age = 13.8 years, SD = .92) from 33 classes in a public school located in a rural region of mainland China. Teacher strategy data were collected from 33 head teachers (88% female teachers, M_age = 33.2 years, SD = 6.95). Students reported their peer victimization experience and loneliness.
Multilevel modeling revealed that teachers’ managing aggressive behavior strategies moderated the peer victimization and loneliness link. The magnitude of the link between peer victimization and loneliness declined for students with teachers using more managing aggressive behavior strategies (i.e., the buffering effect). Contrary to our expectations, teachers’ promoting prosocial behavior strategies did not significantly moderate the association between peer victimization and loneliness.
The findings highlighted the importance of identifying which type of teachers’ strategies in managing aggression are more helpful in alleviating loneliness of victimized youth. It appears that the loneliness of victimized youth declined for teachers who directly control students’ aggressive behaviors, but not for those who promoted more students’ prosocial behaviors. This strategy could protect victimized youth from loneliness by directly restricting the instances of bullying in classrooms, providing significant implications for future interventions on reducing peer victimization. Collectively, interventions aimed at reducing students’ aggression will require the development of a feasible and considerate strategy for reducing peer victimization and protecting students against its negative consequences.

Key words

peer victimization / loneliness / teachers’ / strategies for managing aggression / multilevel modeling

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Bian Xiaohua, Jin Guomin, Sun Yan, Liu Junsheng. The Role of Teachers’ Strategies for Managing Aggression in the Association Between Peer Victimization and Loneliness Among Chinese Adolescents[J]. Journal of Psychological Science. 2025, 48(3): 514-523 https://doi.org/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20250301

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