SynthesisPloS one2023
The relationship between peer victimisation, self-esteem, and internalizing symptoms in adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 53 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cumulative Risks and Trajectories of Psychological Maladjustment in Chinese Adolescents: The Dynamic Mediating Role of Self-Esteem.Journal of youth and adolescence · 2026Article
- Convergence and divergence of mental health symptoms among adolescents and their friends.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2026Article
- Developmental Dynamics of Deviant Peer Affiliation and Internet Gaming Disorder: A Time-Varying Effect Modeling Approach.Journal of youth and adolescence · 2026Article
- An exploratory study on the perceived effectiveness of teacher interventions in bullying: Insights from the students' perspective.The British journal of educational psychology · 2026Article
- The impact of parental divorce on the comorbidity of depression and social anxiety symptoms in adolescents and young adults: evidence from symptom and Bayesian network analysis.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Examining the Relationship Between State Anxiety, Anxiety Sensitivity, and Peer Defending Using Virtual Reality.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- School bullying and social-emotional competence: the mediating role of teacher-student relationships.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- A longitudinal study of objective dating app usage and its relation to mental health in adolescents.Journal of psychopathology and clinical science · 2025Article
- Longitudinal Prediction of Adolescent Depression from Environmental and Polygenic Risk Scores.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2025Article
- Exploring the impact of peer victimization on self-esteem in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: the power of psychological resilience.European journal of pediatrics · 2025Article
- Anti-Bullying Measures and Initiatives in an Online Setting: Educator Survey.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- More Cyberbullying, Less Happiness, and More Injustice-Psychological Changes During the Pericyberbullying Period: Quantitative Study Based on Social Media Data.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Self-esteem and peer pressure susceptibility mediating the link between maternal behavior and adolescent risk behaviors.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Predictors of bullying victimization among early adolescents in junior high schools: A cross-sectional study.Belitung nursing journal · 2025Article
- A longitudinal study on the relationships between maternal parenting style, children's victimization, and self-esteem.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Family Economic Hardship and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Chinese Adolescents: Relative Deprivation as a Mediator and Self-Esteem as a Moderator.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Reactivity to Peer Rejection Moderates the Effect of Victimization on Adolescent Girls' Depressive Symptoms: A Prospective Study.Research on child and adolescent psychopathology · 2024Article
- Association between Dentofacial Features and Bullying from Childhood to Adulthood: A Systematic Review.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPeer victimisation is common and predicts increased internalizing symptoms. Low self-esteem, which is associated with both greater peer victimisation and higher internalizing problems, may help explain why victimised adolescents experience greater internalizing symptoms. Objectives of the present research were to establish the relationships between peer victimisation, internalizing problems, and self-esteem, and to test whether self-esteem mediates the effect of victimisation on internalizing symptoms.
methodsWe conducted a systematic literature search in Psychinfo, ERIC, Web of science, and Pubmed, following PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria were: age 10-18 years; empirical studies that measured a) internalizing symptoms, b) self-esteem, and c) peer victimisation or bullying; design was either longitudinal or cross-sectional with a comparison group. Quality assessment were conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. We conducted random effects models and a meta-mediation analysis, with self-esteem acting as a mediator between peer victimization and internalizing symptoms.
resultsSixteen papers with a total of N = 35,032 (53% female) participants met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis demonstrated an association between peer victimisation and both high internalizing problems (r = .31, CI 95 = .26 to.36) and low self-esteem (r = -.25, CI 95 = -.29; to -.22), and between low self-esteem and high internalizing problems ((r = -.38, CI 95 = -.42 to -.33), as well as an indirect effect of peer victimization on internalizing symptoms via self-esteem (ß = .10, CI lower = .07, CI upper = .13).
conclusionsPeer victimization, high internalizing symptoms and low self-esteem are all mutually related. Peer victimization partially mediates internalizing symptoms via self-esteem. Anti-bullying programmes may consider incorporating self-esteem building exercises in bully-victims. Limitations include high heterogeneity of results.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.