(PS11-C55) Investigating the Relation Between Teacher-student Relationship Quality and Internalizing Symptoms: Peer Victimization as a Mediator

Teachers play an important role in promoting positive peer relations and reducing peer victimization (PV; Kemple & Hartle, 1997). Studies also demonstrate how supportive relationships with teachers, commonly indexed as Teacher-Student Relationship Quality (TSRQ) are negatively linked with internalizing symptoms (Wu et al., 2010). Furthermore, research suggests a positive relation between PV and internalizing symptoms (Christina et al., 2021). However, past research has not examined whether PV mediates the relation between TSRQ and internalizing symptoms. The current study extends this work by exploring the association between TSRQ and internalizing symptoms considering PV as a mediator. We hypothesized that poor TSRQ would be positively related to internalizing symptoms via PV. Data were collected at two time points (Fall and Spring) from elementary school students at 6 schools. Participants were 375 students from the 3rd (46.8%), 4th (19.5%), and 5th (33.7%) grades. The average age of children was 9.3 years (SD = 1.07) and 52.3% identified as girls; and 51.8% as Hispanic. Peer Victimization was assessed via 9-items from the School Experiences Questionnaire (Kochenderfer-Ladd, 2004). Internalizing Symptoms were assessed via 8 items from an adapted version of the Revised Children Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS; Chorpita et al., 2000). Teacher Student Relationship Quality was assessed via three items from the Network of Relationships Inventory, with higher scores indicating higher relationship quality with the teacher (Furman & Buhrmester, 1985). TSRQ was a significant negative predictor of PV (β = -.27, t(373) = -4.95, p < .001) and in turn, PV was a significant positive predictor of internalizing symptoms (β = 0.39, t(372) = 8.13, p < .001). The total effect of TSRQ on  internalizing symptoms was (β = -.25, t(373) = -4.95, p < .001). However, the effect was weakened when controlling for peer victimization (β = -.14, t(372) = -2.96, p < .001). Using 5000 bootstrapped models and 95% confidence intervals, the indirect effect of TSRQ on internalizing symptoms via PV was significant (β = -.11, SE = 0.03, 95% CI = -0.18, -0.05). As expected, we found evidence for a negative link between TSRQ and PV, and a positive link between PV and internalizing symptoms. There was a negative link between TSRQ and internalizing symptoms, but accounting for PV partially attenuated this link. These results suggest that PV can account for some of the effect of TSRQ on internalizing symptoms such that children’s internalizing symptoms might not be as strongly related to their relationships with their teacher if they experience little PV. These results support the notion that teachers should more closely attend to the quality of their students’ peer relationships.