@article{ref1,
title="The relationship between peer victimisation, self-esteem, and internalizing symptoms in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis",
journal="PLoS one",
year="2023",
author="Mullan, Victoria M. R. and Golm, Dennis and Juhl, Jacob and Sajid, Sana and Brandt, Valerie",
volume="18",
number="3",
pages="e0282224-e0282224",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Peer victimisation is common and predicts increased internalizing symptoms. Low self-esteem, which is associated with both greater peer victimisation and higher internalizing problems, may help explain why victimised adolescents experience greater internalizing symptoms. <br><br>OBJECTIVEs of the present research were to establish the relationships between peer victimisation, internalizing problems, and self-esteem, and to test whether self-esteem mediates the effect of victimisation on internalizing symptoms. <br><br>METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature search in Psychinfo, ERIC, Web of science, and Pubmed, following PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria were: age 10-18 years; empirical studies that measured a) internalizing symptoms, b) self-esteem, and c) peer victimisation or bullying; design was either longitudinal or cross-sectional with a comparison group. Quality assessment were conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. We conducted random effects models and a meta-mediation analysis, with self-esteem acting as a mediator between peer victimization and internalizing symptoms. <br><br>RESULTS: Sixteen papers with a total of N = 35,032 (53% female) participants met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis demonstrated an association between peer victimisation and both high internalizing problems (r =.31, CI 95 =.26 to.36) and low self-esteem (r = -.25, CI 95 = -.29; to -.22), and between low self-esteem and high internalizing problems ((r = -.38, CI 95 = -.42 to -.33), as well as an indirect effect of peer victimization on internalizing symptoms via self-esteem (ß =.10, CI lower =.07, CI upper =.13). <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Peer victimization, high internalizing symptoms and low self-esteem are all mutually related. Peer victimization partially mediates internalizing symptoms via self-esteem. Anti-bullying programmes may consider incorporating self-esteem building exercises in bully-victims. Limitations include high heterogeneity of results.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1932-6203",
doi="10.1371/journal.pone.0282224",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282224"
}