The relationship between adolescent victimization, nonsuicidal self-injury, and core self-evaluation: a cross-lagged study

Adolescence is a critical period of high-risk behaviors and core self-evaluation. Victimization and nonsuicidal self-injury, as other-inflicted and self-inflicted harm, may be closely related to core self-evaluation. This study used a cross-lagged design, we used a community-based sample of adolescents recruited from a public high school in central China. Total of 1214 high school students (58.9% male, T1 Mage = 15.46 ± 0.71) completed this research. The results showed that there is a bidirectional cycle between victimization and NSSI. In addition, core self-evaluation had a stable predictive effect on victimization and nonsuicidal self-injury, but the prediction of victimization and nonsuicidal self-injury on core self-evaluation was not stable. There is a cyclic relationship between victimization and core self-evaluation over time. And core self-evaluation mediates the association of victimization and nonsuicidal self-injury. This result helps to clarify the mechanism by which core self-evaluation is associated with external and internal harm, which can help inform future interventions to more effectively avoid the risk of harm and its adverse effects in adolescents.