Victimization and Religious Engagement: Links to School Attachment and Subsequent Adjustment Outcomes

Peer victimization is associated with increases in internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors among early adolescents. However, supportive resources, both in and outside of school contexts, can mitigate the impact of peer victimization on adjustment problems. Religious engagement is a signifi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychology of religion and spirituality 2020-08, Vol.12 (3), p.334-344
Main Authors: Hope, Meredith O., Buhs, Eric
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adjustment
Adolescent Characteristics
Adolescents
Attachment
Attachment Behavior
Behavior problems
Bullying
Classmates
Externalization
Externalizing problems
Female
Human
Internalization
Internalizing disorders
Male
Peer Relations
Peer relationships
Peers
Religion
School Adjustment
Student Engagement
Teenagers
Victimization
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Summary:Peer victimization is associated with increases in internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors among early adolescents. However, supportive resources, both in and outside of school contexts, can mitigate the impact of peer victimization on adjustment problems. Religious engagement is a significant protective factor for a wide range of adult outcomes that may function similarly for early adolescents. Data from a national longitudinal study was used to examine the relationships between peer victimization in school, school attachment, religious engagement, and adjustment outcomes for early adolescents. School attachment was hypothesized to mediate the links between peer victimization and religious engagement and adjustment outcomes. Religious engagement was also hypothesized to moderate the links between peer victimization and adjustment outcomes. Results indicated that peer victimization was positively associated with increased externalizing problems, but only for girls. School attachment mediated relationships between peer victimization and internalizing problems for the most religiously engaged group. In addition, for youth low in religious engagement, school attachment mediated links between peer victimization and externalizing problems. Our results are consistent with the idea that engagement in scholastic and extrascholastic contexts may offer benefits that are protective and reduce likelihood of internalizing and externalizing problems for some victimized youth.
ISSN:1941-1022
1943-1562
DOI:10.1037/rel0000232