Peer victimization and depression among Chinese adolescents: Moderation of teachers' aggression management.

This study explored the moderating roles of two types of teachers' aggression management strategies (i.e., aggression control and promotion of prosocial behavior) in the association between peer victimization and depressive symptoms among adolescents in China. Participants were 1,346 students (Mage = 13.84 years, SD = 0.90, 43.5% girls) from 37 classes in a public school located in a rural region of mainland China. Teacher strategy data was collected from the classroom head teachers (Mage = 33.21 years, SD = 6.95, 87.9% female teachers). Students reported their peer victimization experience and depressive symptoms. Results of multilevel modeling revealed that only teachers' aggression control moderated the link between peer victimization and depressive symptoms. The magnitude of the link between peer victimization and depressive symptoms declined for students whose teachers used more aggression control. The findings highlighted the importance of teachers' aggression management strategies in alleviating the distress of victimized youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).