A reciprocal relationship between parental maltreatment and child bullying perpetration in China.

This study aimed to examine the longitudinal reciprocal relationship between parental maltreatment and child bullying perpetration from middle childhood to early adolescence in China and the associated gender differences. Eight hundred ninety-one children completed a battery of questionnaires at four time points. A random-intercept cross-lagged model was established. The results indicated that at the between-person level, child bullying perpetration was positively associated with physical and psychological maltreatment. At the within-person level, there was a significant association between an increase in bullying perpetration and an increase in parental psychological and physical maltreatment across the four time points. Conversely, an increase in physical maltreatment led to an increase in child bullying perpetration from T1 to T2, while an increase in psychological maltreatment resulted in an increase in child bullying perpetration from T1 to T2 and T2 to T3. Furthermore, an increase in physical maltreatment increased boys' bullying perpetration but decreased that in girls from T2 to T3. These findings provide inspiration for future family education and anti-bullying interventions in schools.

How does parent-child attachment influence left-behind children's loneliness and depression: The mediating roles of peer attachment and teacher-student relationship.

BACKGROUND: Loneliness and depression are common emotional problems among left-behind children, and these emotional problems may have a high correlation with attachment relationships. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the effects of parent-child attachment on left-behind children's loneliness and depression and the mediating roles of peer attachment and teacher-student relationship and their gender differences. METHODS: Using two waves of data, 614 left-behind children participated in the longitudinal study by completing a series of relevant questionnaire two times (spaced 6 months). RESULTS: The results showed that (1) both father-child attachment and mother-child attachment could negatively predict the loneliness and depression of left-behind children. Further, mother-child attachment has a greater predictive effect on loneliness. (2) Peer attachment played a mediating role in parent-child attachment and left-behind children's loneliness; teacher-student relationship played a mediating role in parent-child attachment and left-behind children's loneliness and depression. (3) The scores of girls were higher than those of boys in the four types of attachment relationships; the mediating role of teacher-student relationship between parent-child attachment and depression was significant only among boys. CONCLUSIONS: This study explored the factors that may have impacts on left-behind children's loneliness and depression as well as its potential mechanism and their gender differences based on the perspective of multiple-attachment theory. These results emphasize the important role of close parent-child attachment in reducing loneliness and depression among left-behind children, as well as the necessary mediating role of peer attachment and teacher-student relationships. These findings provide some valuable recommendations for preventing left-behind children's loneliness and depression.

Why is my world so dark? Effects of child physical and emotional abuse on child depression: The mediating role of self-compassion and negative automatic thoughts.

BACKGROUND: The adverse effects of childhood maltreatment on the mental health of individuals have received increasing attention. However, it is unclear whether the effects of invisible emotional abuse and visible physical abuse differ on child depression and the mediating processes under this relationship. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate whether self-compassion and negative automatic thoughts mediated the effects of physical abuse and emotional abuse on child depression and the underlying mechanistic differences. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Using a two-wave longitudinal design, a total of 946 elementary school students completed the self-report questionnaires at two-time points, including child abuse, self-compassion, negative automatic thoughts, and depression. METHODS: This study constructed structural equation models (SEM) to examine the mediating role of self-compassion and negative automatic thoughts between emotional/physical abuse and child depression. RESULTS: After controlling for demographic covariates, structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that only physical abuse significantly and positively predicted child depression directly (ß = 0.16, p < 0.01). Emotional abuse was positively associated with child depression through self-compassion (ß = 0.02, p < 0.05) and negative automatic thoughts (ß = 0.02, p < 0.05), while physical abuse influenced child depression only via negative automatic thoughts (ß = 0.07, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The findings showed a strong association between emotional/physical abuse and child depression, but there were mechanistic differences under these relationships. Therefore, we also need to pay equal attention to the adverse effects of emotional abuse on children.