Peer Victimization and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among Chinese Left-Behind Children: The Moderating Roles of Subjective Socioeconomic Status and Social Support

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626051989734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quanquan Wang ◽  
Xia Liu

Peer victimization is a serious issue among school-aged children. Chinese left-behind children tend to experience peer victimization and associated nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) behavior. However, the possible improvement of subjective socioeconomic status (SES) based on increased family income may serve to buffer the relationship between peer victimization and NSSI, and this buffering effect may differ by level of social support. Thus, the current study aimed to examine the moderating effect of subjective SES on the relationship between peer victimization and NSSI by the level of social support among Chinese left-behind children. A total of 431 left-behind children and 447 non-left-behind children (comparison group) completed self-report scales measuring peer victimization, NSSI, subjective SES, and social support. Results showed that peer victimization was positively related to NSSI among left-behind children, but not among non-left-behind children. Moreover, for left-behind children with low levels of social support, high subjective SES intensified the association between peer victimization and NSSI; peer victimization was positively associated with NSSI among left-behind children who reported high subjective SES, but not among those with low subjective SES. However, high levels of social support seemed to protect the left-behind children with high subjective SES who experienced peer victimization from NSSI. For non-left-behind children with both parents present, high subjective SES played a protective role in the association between peer victimization and NSSI, regardless of the levels of social support they enjoyed. These findings contribute to an understanding of subjective SES as a moderating mechanism in the association between peer victimization and NSSI among left-behind children. Social support proved central to the protective role of subjective SES. Intervention programs to enhance social support can help to strengthen the protective effect of subjective SES on NSSI among left-behind children who experience peer victimization.

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 981-989 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily D. Hooker ◽  
Belinda Campos ◽  
Peggy M. Zoccola ◽  
Sally S. Dickerson

Low objective and subjective socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with the experience of frequent stressors known to have physiological costs. We tested whether perceived social support, a key health-protective resource, buffered the association between lower subjective SES and cortisol responses to an acute stressor. Participants ( N = 115; 54.78% female; age M = 19.56) reported subjective SES and perceived support, completed a social-evaluative stressor task, and provided saliva for cortisol assessment. There was a significant interaction of subjective SES with support predicting linear change in cortisol stress responses, γ = .08, z = 2.34, p = .02. When support was low, subjective SES was strongly related to cortisol, and those who reported lower subjective SES exhibited higher cortisol during recovery than those who reported higher subjective SES. When support was high, those who reported higher and lower subjective SES exhibited similar cortisol responses. These results highlight the important protective role that supportive relationships can have when subjective SES is low.


Author(s):  
Zhen Guo ◽  
Xiaoxing Ren ◽  
Jinzhe Zhao ◽  
Liying Jiao ◽  
Yan Xu

A growing number of young people tend to regard their pets as their surrogate children, yet research examining the relationship between pet attachment and fertility intention remains scarce. Moreover, individuals’ fertility intention is affected by economic resources. Therefore, we conducted two studies to examine the interaction effect of pet attachment and subjective socioeconomic status (SES) on childbearing-aged individuals’ fertility intention. In Study 1, we utilized questionnaires to measure Chinese pet owners’ pet attachment, subjective SES, and fertility intention. In Study 2, participants’ pet attachment was experimentally manipulated by reading articles about the benefits of petkeeping. The results of the two studies consistently demonstrated that the effect of pet attachment on fertility intention was moderated by subjective SES. Specifically, pet attachment was negatively associated with fertility intention when individuals had a high level of subjective SES, whereas this effect disappeared when individuals had low subjective SES. These findings suggest an explanation for why individuals with high subjective SES delay or even opt out of childbearing. The limitations and implications of the current study are discussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Greitemeyer ◽  
Christina Sagioglou

Abstract. Previous research has shown that people of low subjective socioeconomic status (SES) are more likely to experience compassion and provide help to others than people of high SES. However, low subjective SES also appears to be related to more hostile and aggressive responding. Given that prosociality is typically an antagonist of aggression, we examined whether low subjective SES individuals could be indeed more prosocial and antisocial. Five studies – two correlational, three experimental – found that low subjective SES was related to increased aggression. In contrast, subjective SES was not negatively related to trait and state measures of prosociality.


Author(s):  
Kun Liu ◽  
Xueyan Yang ◽  
Moye Xin

Repetitive nonsuicidal self-injury (R-NSSI) is an extreme manifestation of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) behavior that causes bodily harm and emotional and personality disorders. It is a growing concern, especially among adolescents; therefore, this study aims to provide empirical support for effective interventions on R-NSSI behavior among adolescents in China. We used data of about 1180 students from a survey conducted in seven middle schools in Xi’an, China, and applied multiple logistic regression to analyze NSSI and R-NSSI among male and female students, including their influencing factors. We found no significant difference between male and female students’ R-NSSI; however, regarding influencing factors, male students had more violent experiences and less social support than female students. Parental and familial factors played the most prominent role in social support. Social support was found to be a main-effect mechanism in the effect of violent experiences on R-NSSI among male students, whereas the mechanism had both a main effect and a certain buffer effect among female students. R-NSSI was found to be more prevalent among younger children, children with siblings, and those with romantic relationship experiences. We also found that healthy adolescent development involves the participation of families and schools. Health education should be conducted according to the students’ sex and characteristics.


2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas J. Westers ◽  
Mark Rehfuss ◽  
Lynn Olson ◽  
Constance M. Wiemann

Abstract Many adolescents who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) self-identify as religious, but the role of religion in their NSSI is not known. This exploratory study examined the relationship between religious coping and religiousness among adolescents who self-injure and the function of their NSSI. Thirty adolescents aged 12–19 years who had engaged in NSSI participated in an interview and completed questionnaires. Multiple regressions were used to examine the relationship between religious coping and NSSI, and Pearson correlations were used to assess the relationship between religiousness and function of NSSI. Greater use of positive religious coping was associated with lower likelihood of engaging in NSSI to rid oneself of unwanted emotions, whereas greater use of negative religious coping was associated with greater likelihood of engaging in NSSI for this reason as well as to avoid punishment or unwanted responsibility. Higher religiousness was associated with greater use of NSSI to communicate with or gain attention from others, whereas lower religiousness was associated with greater use of NSSI to relieve unwanted emotions. Having a greater understanding of how religious constructs are related to the various functions served by NSSI may inform treatment of this population, particularly among religious youth who self-injure.


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