Peer Victimization and School Engagement in Chinese Adolescents: The Role of Grit and Self-Compassion

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal relationships between peer victimization and three types of school engagement among Chinese adolescents, with a focus on the potential indirect effects of two facets of grit, perseverance of effort and consistency of interest, and the moderating role of self-compassion. This study adopted a two-wave longitudinal design over one year, involving 810 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 13.04, SD = 0.76). Participants completed the Chinese version of the School Engagement Scale and the Grit Scale at both time points. In addition, the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire and the Self-Compassion Scale were administered at Time 1. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze all study variables. Results showed that the direct relationship between T1 peer victimization and T2 school engagement was significant only for behavioral engagement (β = −.084, p = .011), not for emotional or cognitive engagement. However, peer victimization was linked to subsequent school engagement indirectly through grit's consistency of interest, but not through perseverance of effort (β = −.013 to −.035, ps = .003–.024). Further analysis revealed that the indirect effect of consistency of interest was significant across levels of self-compassion and became stronger when T1 self-compassion was high. Moreover, higher self-compassion strengthened the negative association between peer victimization and consistency of interest. These results provide nuanced explanations of how and for whom peer victimization is associated with later school engagement as well as inform interventions to maintain school engagement among victimized Chinese adolescents.