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Abstract
The goal of this study was to examine the impact of relational peer victimization in high school on first-year college students’ psychosocial adjustment and academic performance. Structural equation modeling was used to test hypothesized linkages between peer victimization, four types of perceived social support, sense of belonging, student engagement, and mid-term grades. Undergraduates completed self-report questionnaires which were administered either in-person during class time or on-line during the first half of the spring semester. In the full sample, on-campus support and classmate support partially mediated the links between relational victimization and sense of belonging. Academic self-efficacy partially mediated the effects of classmate support on sense of belonging and academic performance, respectively. Greater victimization, for males, was associated with less on-campus and classmate support. Females with greater on-campus support, classmate support, and academic self-efficacy tended to report more sense of belonging. Engagement, for females only, was negatively associated with lower grades. Findings emphasize the need to explore high school social experiences as well as college-level factors that potentially contribute to first-year experiences.
