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The Relationships of Family and Classroom Environments with Peer Relational Victimization: An Analysis of their Gender Differences

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

María Jesús Cava ,
Gonzalo Musitu ,
Sofia Buelga  and
Sergio Murgui
María Jesús Cava*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Valencia (Spain)
Gonzalo Musitu
Affiliation:
Universidad Pablo de Olavide (Spain)
Sofia Buelga
Affiliation:
Universidad de Valencia (Spain)
Sergio Murgui
Affiliation:
Universidad Católica de Valencia (Spain)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to María Jesús Cava. Departamento de Psicologia Social. Facultad de Psicología. Universidad de Valencia. Avda. Blasco Ibañez, 21. 46010 Valencia. (Spain). Phone: +34-963983492. Fax:+34-96386 4668. E-mail: Maria.J.Cava@uv.es
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Abstract

This study analyzes the relationships of adolescents' perceptions of their family and classroom environments with peer relational victimization, taking into account that these relationships could be mediated by adolescents' self-esteem, feelings of loneliness, and sociometric status. These relationships, and their possible gender differences, were analyzed in a sample of 1319 Spanish adolescents (48% boys and 52% girls), ages 11 to 16 years (M = 13.7, SD = 1.5). A structural equation modeling was calculated for boys and girls separately. The findings suggested that the adolescents' self-esteem, loneliness, and sociometric status had a significant direct effect on peer relational victimization for boys, and adolescents' loneliness and sociometric status for girls. Their perceptions of family and classroom environments had a significant indirect effect on peer relational victimization for boys and girls, but the paths were different. Overall, findings suggested that a negative classroom environment had a more relevant effect in relational victimization for boys.

Este estudio analiza las relaciones entre las percepciones que los adolescentes tienen de su clima familiar y escolar y la victimización relacional entre iguales, teniendo en cuenta que estas relaciones pueden estar mediadas por la autoestima, los sentimientos de soledad y el estatus sociométrico de los adolescentes. Estas relaciones, y sus posibles diferencias de género, fueron analizadas en una muestra de 1319 adolescentes españoles (48% chicos y 52% chicas) con edades comprendidas entre los 11 y los 16 años (M = 13.7, DT = 1.5). Un mismo modelo de ecuaciones estructurales fue calculado de forma separada para chicos y chicas. Los resultados sugirieron efectos directos significativos de la autoestima, la soledad y el estatus sociométrico de los adolescentes en la victimización relacional para los chicos, y de la soledad y el estatus sociométrico para las chicas. Las percepciones de los adolescentes del clima familiar y del clima escolar mostraron efectos indirectos significativos en la victimización relacional para chicos y chicas, pero las trayectorias eran diferentes. En general, los resultados sugirieron que para los chicos un clima escolar negativo tenía un efecto más relevante en la victimización relacional.

Keywords

family environmentclassroom environmentpeer relational victimizationgender differencesambiente famililarambiente escolarvictimización relacional entre igualesdiferencias por género
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 13 , Issue 1 , May 2010 , pp. 156 - 165
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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