Peer victimization and externalizing problems among Chinese adolescents: the chain mediating role of hostile attribution bias and revenge motivation

Peer victimization is a risk factor for multiple behavioral problems in adolescents. However, there is limited understanding of how peer victimization can trigger externalizing problems in adolescents. Therefore, the present study explored the link between peer victimization and externalizing behaviors among Chinese adolescents, including the possible mediating effects of hostile attribution bias and revenge motivation. The research involved 1,052 Chinese adolescents (female = 518; Mage = 13.96, SD = 1.22) and employed various instruments, such as the Multidimensional Peer Victimization Scale (MPVS), the Word Sentence Association Paradigm for Hostility (WSAP-H), the Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory (TRIM), and the Child Behavior Checklist-Youth Self-Report (CBCL-YSR). Outcomes indicate that: (1) A substantial positive correlation exists between peer victimization and the manifestation of externalizing problems. (2) It appears that both the hostile attribution bias and the revenge motivation may act as intermediaries in the link between peer victimization and externalizing problems. (3) Sequential mediation by hostile attribution bias followed by revenge motivation was observed in the connection between peer victimization and externalizing problems. This research sheds light on the development of externalizing behaviors in adolescents, suggesting that victimization by peers, coupled with a tendency to overexaggerate hostility and a propensity for revenge, could be crucial in the emergence of such behaviors.