This research article identifies correlations between peer victimization and academic adjustment through moderation by gender and mediation by perceived peer support (Wang, Iannotti, Luk, 2011). The authors reference a number of previous studies that found similar relationships. One of those previous studies found that there was significant association between peer victimization and low academic achievement (Nakamoto and Schwartz, 2010). Another study was cited that gave evidence that the support of peers positively correlated with academic achievement (Roeser, Eccles, Sameroff, 1998). The authors indicate that despite previous studies, there is still much that is unknown about the “factors that moderate or mediate the negative influence of victimization on academic adjustment” and on how classmate support may affect the relationship between peer victimization and academic adjustment (Wang, Iannotti, Luk, 2011).

The participants in this study were 7th and 8th grade students that were part of the World Health Organization’s 2005/2006 Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) stud, which represented multiple nationalities and included an oversampling of minority students such as African American and Hispanic. Data was used from 3,436 students, all from the United States, of which 47.8% were males, 49.7% were seventh graders, 41.8% Caucasian, 18.3% African-American and 26.4% Hispanic. The mean age was 13.6 years (Wang, Iannotti, Luk, 2011).

Three different hypotheses were tested in the study, the first of which hypothesized that a significant inverse association would be found between peer victimization and academic adjustment. The second was that there would be a greater affect amongst girls of relational, verbal and cyber victimization. The third hypothesis was that peer victimization and poor academic adjustment would be mediated by perceived classmate support (Wang, Iannotti, Luk, 2011). Questions from the HBSC study, in which students filled out a questionnaire in their classrooms, were categorized into one of four measures: Peer Victimization, Perceived Classmate Support, Academic Adjustment, and Demographic Variables. First, a multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was run to test the factor structure and measurement invariance. Then, a multiple-group structural equation model (SEM) was run to test the relationship between victimization and academic adjustment. Tests were also run to see if associations were different between genders. A last analysis was done to see if perceived classmate support played a part in mediating the association between peer victimization and academic adjustment. To do this, the SEM results were run as covariates, along with socio-demographic variables, with the outcome variable being academic adjustment. All analyses were conducted using the software Mplus .

The results confirmed the hypotheses that peer victimization had a significant inverse association with academic adjustment amongst 7th and 8th graders and that the association was twice as strong in females than in males. The third hypothesis was also confirmed, that there was a negative association between perceived classmate support and peer victimization and a positive association between perceived classmate support and academic adjustment. The results show that perceived classmate support plays a mediating role in the effect of peer victimization and academic adjustment. The authors also emphasize that encouraging strong social bonds between students may increase academic adjustment and act as a buffer against bullying (Wang, Iannotti, Luk, 2011).

The findings of this study reinforce the importance of creating and maintaining a strong support system for victimized students in schools, not only amongst teachers and staff but also amongst student peers. Student should be encouraged to show empathy and to report incidents of bullying that they have witnessed. It is also important for schools to provide support on how to cope, particularly for females since they are more likely to suffer academically. Providing training for teachers and staff in how to identify and deal with peer victimization (Wang, Iannotti, Luk, 2011).

This study supports the findings of previous studies and also provides greater depth of understanding to the correlations between peer victimization and academic adjustment, particularly regarding the effects of victimization on female students. The research was objective, conducted blindly and showed no evidence of bias. The use of quantitative data was reliable, though somewhat limited since it only utilized student responses to questionnaires. It was difficult to understand all the specific methods used to analyze the data, though the actual results and descriptions of the results were thorough and presented in a clear manner.

Resources
1. Nakamoto J, Schwartz D. Is peer victimization associated with academic achievement? A meta-analytic review. Soc Dev. 2010;19(2):221-242.
2. Roeser RW, Eccles JS, Sameroff AJ. Academic and emotional functioning in early adolescence: longitudinal relations, patterns, and prediction by experience in middle school. Dev Psychopathol. 1998;10(2):321-352.