Public health

Pathology

Peer victimization

Intervention (counseling)

Poison control

Mathematics

Psychiatry

Peer group

Nursing

Mathematical analysis

Developmental psychology

Health psychology

Psychology

Longitudinal study

Closeness

Suicide prevention

Medicine

Social psychology

Environmental health

Journal of Youth and Adolescence

Although teachers play a central role in tackling peer victimization at school, no study so far has investigated transactional associations between positive and negative teacher-student relationship dimensions and peer victimization in early adolescence. Investigating both dimensions simultaneously in upper elementary school allows to examine differential effects on peer victimization (and vice versa) and could aid tailored prevention and intervention efforts. At three time points within one school year, self-reported teacher-student closeness and conflict and self- and peer-reported peer victimization were assessed in a sample of 930 fourth to sixth grade students (Mage = 10.55 years, 53.1% girls). Cross-lagged models revealed negative within-time associations between closeness and self-reported peer victimization, and positive within-time associations between conflict and self-reported peer victimization at most time points. Whereas closeness and conflict negatively predicted each other across the school year, no bidirectional longitudinal effects were found between teacher-student relationships and peer victimization. The current findings highlight the need for early prevention and intervention efforts to tackle peer victimization, build positive teacher-student relationships, and especially reduce negative teacher-student relationships.

Reciprocal Links Between Teacher-Student Relationships and Peer Victimization: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study in Early Adolescence