Peer victimization, global self-worth, and anxiety in middle school children

Abstract

Examined relations among peer victimization, global self-worth, and anxiety, with particular interest in the potential mediating and moderating effects of global self-worth in the anticipated relations between peer victimization and anxiety. Sixth-grade children (N = 279) from a public middle school in southwestern Virginia participated. Reported levels of peer victimization were similar to those reported in previous studies, as were levels of anxiety. Sex differences were noted on measures of peer victimization and anxiety with boys reporting more victimization but less anxiety than girls. All subsequent analyses were conducted separately by sex. Significant relations were found among all variables of interest. For girls, global self-worth was found to mediate the peer victimization-anxiety relation, suggesting that victimization experiences negatively influenced girls' views of themselves and helped explain elevated levels of anxiety reported by them. For boys, global self-worth moderated the peer victimization-anxiety relation. Boys with higher global self-worth reported fewer anxiety symptoms than boys with lower global self-worth. Implications of these findings are discussed.