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Externalizing problems mediate the relation between teacher and peer violence and lower school performance.
Faustine Bwire Masath1, Florian Scharpf2, Lars Dumke3
1Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University, P.O. Box 100131, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany; Department of Educational Psychology and Curriculum Studies, Dar es Salaam University College of Education, P.O. Box 2329, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Child Abuse & Neglect
|December 9, 2022
Summary
School violence exposure, particularly from teachers and peers, is linked to increased externalizing problems in children. These problems, in turn, negatively impact academic performance, highlighting an indirect effect of school violence.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- While family violence's impact on academic outcomes is known, school-based violence (teacher/peer) effects are less understood.
- The mediating role of children's mental health in school violence and academic performance links requires further examination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate direct and indirect associations between school violence exposure (teacher and peer) and children's mental health and academic functioning.
- To control for the influence of parental violence experiences in the analysis.
Main Methods:
- A representative sample of 914 primary school students in Tanzania was surveyed using multistage random sampling.
- Structured interviews assessed violence exposure and mental health; school records provided academic performance and absenteeism data.
- Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the complex associations.
Main Results:
- Exposure to teacher and peer violence significantly correlated with increased externalizing behavior problems.
- Higher levels of externalizing problems were significantly associated with poorer academic performance and increased absenteeism.
- Indirect pathways were identified: teacher and peer violence indirectly predicted poorer academic performance through externalizing problems.
Conclusions:
- School violence exposure may negatively affect academic performance indirectly by exacerbating attention and behavior problems.
- Further longitudinal research is recommended to confirm these findings.
- Interventions aimed at reducing school violence are crucial for improving academic outcomes.
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