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To extend our understanding of the development of adolescent grit, we examined the relationships between social support and the two facets of grit (i.e., perseverance of effort and consistency of interest) and whether the relations were moderated by age and gender. Our sample was composed of 1475 Chinese adolescents with ages ranging from 10.65 to 19.24 years old (Mage = 14.98, SDage = 1.66). The results showed that social support was positively related to perseverance of effort but not significantly related to consistency of interest. However, these relations were moderated by age. Specifically, the effect of social support on perseverance of effort declined as age increased, but remained positive among late adolescents. Nevertheless, the effect of social support on consistency of interest was positive only among early adolescents, and the effect decreased and even became marginally negative among late adolescents. Gender difference was further examined, and the results show that the moderating role in the relationship between social support and perseverance of effort was only significant among males rather than females. That is, the positive effect of social support on perseverance of effort did not change with age among females. Theoretic and practical implications are discussed.

Previous studies have shown that bullying and victimization can be experienced simultaneously by an individual and can change over time. Understanding the joint longitudinal development of the two is of great significance. We conducted a 4-year longitudinal study to examine the joint developmental trajectories of bullying and victimization, gender and grade differences in trajectory group membership, and changes in specific forms of bullying and victimization (verbal, relational, and physical bullying /victimization) in each trajectory group. A total of 775 children from China participated in our study. The average age of participants at the first wave was 10.90 years ( SD = 1.12), and boys accounted for 69.5% of the sample. Based on mean scores, four distinct joint developmental trajectories of bullying and victimization were found: the involvement group (both bullying and victimization increased from low to high over time, accounting for 7.6% of the total), the desisted group (both bullying and victimization decreased from high to low over time, 6.1%), the victimization group (victimization remained at a high level, whereas bullying remained at a low level for 3 years, 13.2%), and the noninvolved group (bullying and victimization remained at a stable low level, 73.1%). Boys were more likely than girls to belong to the involvement group, desisted group, and victimization group, whereas girls were more likely than boys to belong to the noninvolved group. There was no significant grade difference in the trajectory group. All forms of bullying/victimization were consistent with the overall trend and showed similar levels. These results have important implications for the prevention of and interventions for school bullying.

Background Due to the one-child policy implemented in China, most families have only one child. When parents experience the death of their only child, these parents receive the label ‘Shidu parents’. Shidu is a major public health issue in China. However, the patterns of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms that are present in this population remain unclear. Objective This study aims to identify profiles of PTSD and depressive symptoms among Shidu parents and to explore the predictors of profile membership. Methods A total of 363 participants (Mage = 61.5 years, SD = 7.5) were asked to complete questionnaires assessing PTSD, depressive symptoms, perceived social support, and demographic information. Latent profile analyses and multivariate logistic regressions were used. Results Three distinct profiles were identified: low (39.4%), moderate (32.8%), and high symptoms (27.8%). Parents who were younger and perceived lower levels of support from family and significant others were more likely to experience higher levels of PTSD and depressive symptoms. Conclusions These results indicate that the severity of PTSD and depressive symptoms tightly cohere, providing evidence for the co-occurrence of PTSD and depressive symptoms after bereavement. The findings provide valuable information for the development of tailored professional interventions for bereaved parents.

Cyber victimization is a serious risk factor for the manifestation of depressive symptoms in adolescents. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying the relationship between these factors. The present study sought to determine whether psychological insecurity mediated the relationship between cyber victimization and depressive symptoms in adolescents. Additionally, this study sought to determine whether this mediating process was moderated by perceived social support. A sample of 793 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 14.41 years, SD = 1.70) completed questionnaires regarding their experience with cyber victimization, psychological insecurity, perceived social support, and depression. Results showed that (a) after controlling for demographics and traditional offline victimization, cyber victimization uniquely predicted a greater prevalence of depressive symptoms; (b) psychological insecurity partially mediated the relationship between cyber victimization and depressive symptoms in adolescents; and (c) perceived social support moderated the direct and indirect paths such that the relationship between psychological insecurity and depression was weaker for adolescents with higher levels of perceived social support (i.e., the stress-buffering effect), but the relationship between cyber victimization and psychological insecurity/depression was stronger for adolescents with higher levels of perceived social support (i.e., the reverse stress-buffering effect). This study contributes to research clarifying the mediating and moderating mechanisms involved in the development of depression among adolescents reporting cyber victimization.

Previous studies have documented that peer victimization is a significant risk factor causing Internet addiction among adolescents. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation. On the basis of the emotional security theory and the resilience theory, this study examined whether psychological security would mediate the relation between peer victimization and adolescent Internet addiction, and whether teacher-student relationships would moderate the mediating process. Participants comprised 747 Chinese students (mean age = 13.73 years, SD = 1.00) recruited from three middle schools. They provided self-reported data on demographic variables, peer victimization, psychological security, teacher-student relationship, and Internet addiction. After controlling for age, gender, parents' education, and family's financial status, mediation analysis indicated that psychological security fully mediated the association between peer victimization and adolescent Internet addiction. Moderated mediation analysis further demonstrated that positive teacher-student relationships ameliorated the adverse impact of peer victimization on psychological security, thereby mitigating the indirect effect of peer victimization on Internet addiction among adolescents. This study highlights the mediating and moderating mechanisms linking peer victimization to Internet addiction and has important implications for the prevention and intervention of Internet addiction among adolescents.

Accumulating evidence suggests that multiple environmental and individual risk factors are involved in the development of adolescent Internet addiction. However, previous research has primarily relied on variable-centered approaches to examine how each risk factor functions to predict Internet addiction in isolation, ignoring the possibility that there are subgroups of adolescents who may differ in their combined exposure to multiple risk factors. Using a cross-sectional design, we sampled 14 risk factors across multiple socio-ecological levels and used a person-centered approach to identify subgroups of multiple risk exposure and to relate these subgroups to adolescent Internet addiction. A total of 998 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 15.15 years, SD = 1.57) participated in this study by filling out questionnaires regarding 14 family, school, peer, and individual risk factors and Internet addiction. Latent profile analysis identified 4 profiles that evidenced distinct patterns of risk factors: low risk (37%), moderate risk (44%), high risk (15%) and peer risk (4%). The high risk and moderate risk profiles showed higher risk for Internet addiction than the low risk profile. The peer risk profile had higher risk for Internet addiction than the high risk, moderate risk, and low risk profiles. These findings suggest that considerable heterogeneity exists in multiple risk exposure and the multiple risk exposure profiles are differentially associated with adolescent Internet addiction. Results from this study can inform the development of tailored intervention and prevention strategies to reduce adolescent Internet addiction.

A growing body of research has documented that teacher-student relationship is negatively associated with adolescent Internet addiction. However, little is known about the mediating mechanisms underlying this relation. The present study investigated whether psychological security and deviant peer affiliation mediate the link between teacher-student relationship and adolescent Internet addiction. A sample of 747 middle school students (51% male; Mage = 13.73 years, SD = 1.00) completed questionnaires regarding demographics, teacher-student relationship, psychological security, deviant peer affiliation, and Internet addiction. After controlling for demographic covariates, the results revealed that: (a) teacher-student relationship was negatively associated with Internet addiction; (b) both psychological security and deviant peer affiliation partially mediated the link between teacher-student relationship and Internet addition in a parallel fashion; and (c) psychological security and deviant peer affiliation also sequentially mediated the link between teacher-student relationship and Internet addition. These findings have important implications for the prevention and intervention of adolescent Internet addiction.

A growing body of research has documented that interparental conflict is associated with adolescent Internet addiction. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation. Based on emotional security theory and diathesis-stress model, the present study examined whether emotional insecurity mediated the relationship between interparental conflict and adolescent Internet addiction, and whether this mediating process was moderated by big five personality traits. Our theoretical model was tested using data collected from 1189 Chinese adolescents (Mage=14.43 years, SD=1.41). Participants completed anonymous questionnaires assessing their perceptions of interparental conflict, emotional insecurity, big five personality traits, and Internet addiction. After controlling for demographic variables, interparental conflict was positively associated with adolescent Internet addiction. Mediation analysis indicated that emotional insecurity partially mediated the association between interparental conflict and adolescent Internet addiction. Tests of moderated mediation further revealed that the mediated path was stronger for adolescents with higher neuroticism or extraversion. Results highlight the significance of identifying the mechanisms that moderate the mediated paths between interparental conflict and adolescent Internet addiction. Interparental conflict (IC) was positively related to adolescent Internet addiction.Emotional insecurity mediated the relation between IC and Internet addiction.Big five personality traits moderated the mediating effect of emotional insecurity.

This study examined the unique associations between big five personality traits and adolescent Internet addiction (IA), as well as the mediating role of coping style underlying these relations. Our theoretical model was tested with 998 adolescents. Participants provided self-report data on demographic variables, big five personality traits, coping style, and IA. After controlling for demographic variables, it was found that agreeableness and conscientiousness were negatively associated with IA, whereas extraversion, neuroticism, and openness to experience were positively associated with IA. Mediation analyses further indicated that conscientiousness had an indirect impact on adolescent IA through decreased emotion-focused coping, whereas extraversion, neuroticism, openness to experience had indirect impacts on adolescent IA through increased emotion-focused coping. In contrast, problem-focused coping had no mediating role. These findings suggest that emotion-focused coping may, in part, account for the association between big five personality and adolescent IA.

Background Exposure to childhood trauma can cause psychopathology and negative psychosocial outcomes across the lifespan. Rural-to-urban migrant children are commonly exposed to traumatic experiences (TEs). However, no study has comprehensively examined patterns of childhood trauma in Chinese culture. The current study aimed to examine patterns of childhood trauma exposure among Chinese rural-to-urban migrant children. Methods A large-scale (N = 15,890) cross-sectional survey of rural-to-urban migrant workers’ children in grades 4 to 9 was conducted in Beijing. Childhood TEs, including accidents and injuries, interpersonal violence, and vicarious trauma, as well as demographics and internalizing and externalizing behaviors, were measured. Results Four patterns of childhood trauma were found: low trauma exposure (60.4%), vicarious trauma exposure (23.9%), domestic violence exposure (10.5%), and multiple trauma exposure (5.3%). Age, gender, parents’ marital status, father's education level, family support and peer support differentiated the four TE patterns. Both internalizing and externalizing behaviors were more severe in patterns with more types of TEs. Conclusions Our findings provide a better understanding of childhood trauma in Chinese culture and the relationship between TEs and mental health. Clinicians and policy makers should tailor prevention and treatment programs according to different patterns of victimization.

Background: Child maltreatment has become a serious public health and social problem worldwide. However, knowledge regarding the status of child maltreatment in western China is limited. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the status of child maltreatment in western China and its relationship with mental health. Participants and setting: The present study evaluated child maltreatment in a sample of 1511 children (Mage = 11.48 years) from western China. Methods: The participants completed questionnaires designed to collect demographic information and assess their experiences with maltreatment and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Results: In total, 12.3%, 14.0%, 1.3% and 28.1% of the children experienced physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect, respectively, while 186 children (12.3%) experienced multiple types of maltreatment. Boys were more likely to experience maltreatment than girls in most cases. Physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect had unique effects on depression symptoms. Physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect, but not sexual abuse, had unique effects on anxiety symptoms. Conclusions: The children who experienced maltreatment had higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Population-based prevention and educational programs should highlight the serious negative effects of maltreatment, especially emotional abuse and neglect, which have long been ignored in China.

Depression in children and adolescents has become a serious public health problem worldwide. The objectives of this study were twofold: first, to investigate the status of depression among children and adolescents on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the highest plateau in the world, with an average altitude of more than 4200 m (13,776 feet), and second, to examine the associations among prosocial behavior, resilience, and depression. A cross-sectional study was conducted among children and adolescents from Yushu Prefecture on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. A total of 11,160 participants aged 10&ndash, 17 years (Mage = 14.34 years, SD = 1.77, 51.4% girls) were included. Self-reported depression, resilience, and prosocial behavior were assessed. The prevalence of depression was 29.2% in the current study. Higher levels of prosocial behavior were significantly associated with lower levels of depression (&beta, = &minus, 0.25, p &lt, 0.001). Furthermore, resilience significantly moderated the relationship between prosocial behavior and depression (&beta, 0.08, p &lt, 0.001), that is, resilience enhanced the protective role of prosocial behavior in depression. These findings indicate that resilience may play an important role in the associations between prosocial behavior and depression, which suggests that improving resilience is essential for the prevention and intervention of depression among children and adolescents on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Although stressful life events have been shown to play an important role in adolescent Internet addiction, little is known about mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation. Based on the integration of self-determination theory and stress-coping theory, the present study investigated (a) the mediating role of psychological needs satisfaction in the relationship between stressful life events and Internet addiction, and (b) the moderating role of coping style in the indirect and direct relationships between stressful life events and Internet addiction. This model was tested with 998 Chinese adolescents (mean ageź=ź15.15 years, SDź=ź1.57). Participants filled out questionnaires regarding stressful life events, psychological needs satisfaction, coping style, and Internet addiction. After demographic variables were controlled, stressful life events were significantly positively associated with Internet addiction. Mediation analysis revealed that psychological needs satisfaction partially mediated the association between stressful life events and Internet addiction. Moderated mediation analysis further indicated that the mediated path was weaker for adolescents with higher levels of positive coping style. These findings underscore the importance of identifying the mechanisms that moderate the mediated paths between stressful life events and adolescent Internet addiction. Stressful life events (SLE) were positively related to adolescent Internet addiction.Psychological needs satisfaction mediated the effect of SLE on Internet addiction.Positive coping moderated the mediation effect of psychological needs satisfaction.

Although recent studies have documented that perceived negative school climate is associated with adolescent Internet addiction, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation. The present study examined whether deviant peer affiliation mediated the relationship between perceived school climate and adolescent Internet addiction, and whether this mediating process was moderated by adolescent effortful control. Our theoretical model was tested using data collected from 2758 Chinese adolescents (mean age?=?13.53 years, SD?=?1.06). After controlling for demographic variables, perceived school climate was positively associated with adolescent Internet addiction. Mediation analyses revealed that deviant peer affiliation partially mediated the association between perceived school climate and adolescent Internet addiction. Tests of moderated mediation further indicated that the mediated path was weaker for adolescents with higher effortful control. Results highlight the significance of identifying the mechanisms that moderate the mediated paths between perceived school climate and adolescent Internet addiction. Perceived school climate is significantly related to adolescent Internet addiction.Deviant peer affiliation mediated the effect of school climate on Internet addiction.Effortful control moderated the mediation effect of deviant peer affiliation.

Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological model focuses on the interrelation between different contexts and the interaction between individuals and their proximal contexts. Based on this theory, the present study tested a moderated mediation model of family, peer, and individual characteristics to investigate how they impact adolescent Internet addiction. Specifically, we examined whether deviant peer affiliation partially mediated the relation between perceived parental monitoring and adolescent Internet addiction, and whether this indirect relation was moderated by effortful control. A total of 747 Chinese middle school students filled out anonymous questionnaires concerning perceived parental monitoring, deviant peer affiliation, effortful control, and Internet addiction. The findings indicated that while the impact of parental monitoring on Internet addiction was partially mediated by deviant peer affiliation, effortful control moderated the first stage of the indirect relationship. For low effortful control adolescents, perceived parental monitoring negatively predicted deviant peer affiliation. Conversely, the indirect path was not significant for high effortful control adolescents. These findings highlight the need to consider family, peer and individual factors simultaneously when evaluating risks associated with adolescent Internet addiction and have important implications for the prevention and intervention of adolescent Internet addiction.