The Effect of Perceived Parental Abuse and Neglect and Peer Attachment on School Life Adjustment according to Children’s Gender

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of perceived parental neglect and abuse and peer attachment on school life adjustment according to children’s gender. A total of 2,264 5th graders from the second Korea Child-Adolescent Panel Survey participated. The results were as follows: First, the boys had higher parental neglect and abuse scores than the girls, while the girls had higher peer attachment scores and higher school life adjustment scores than the boys. Second, every sub-element of school life adjustment was significantly negatively correlated with parental neglect and abuse regardless of the children’s gender. Every sub-element of school life adjustment was significantly positively correlated with the ‘communication’ and ‘trust’ sub-elements of peer attachment regardless of the children’s gender. In the case of the boys, the ‘study activity’ and ‘peer relation’ sub-elements of school life adjustment were significantly negatively correlated with the ‘alienation’ sub-element of peer attachment. For the girls, every sub-element of school life adjustment was significantly negatively correlated with the alienation sub-element of peer attachment. Finally, the factors of ‘parental neglect and abuse,’ and the peer attachment sub-elements of ‘communication,’ and ‘trust’ significantly predicted the boys’ school life adjustment, while for girls, the significant predictors were ‘parental neglect and abuse,’ ‘communication,’ ‘trust,’ and ‘alienation.’ Keywords: parental neglect and abuse, peer attachment, school life adjustment, Korea Child-Adolescent Panel Survey