Examining the Implications of Social Anxiety in a Community Sample of Mainland Chinese Children

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the implications of social anxiety symptoms in a community sample of elementary school children in mainland China. Method: Participants were N = 576 children (309 boys, 267 girls; mean age = 11.52 years, standard deviation = 1.21) attending public elementary schools in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Multisource assessments included child self-reports, teacher ratings, and school records. Results: Confirmatory factor analyses replicated the previously established 3-factor solution for the Social Anxiety Scale for Children-Revised. Social anxiety symptoms were associated with indices of internalizing problems, peer difficulties, and poorer school adjustment. Conclusion: Results are discussed in terms of the implications of social avoidance as a particularly maladaptive component of social anxiety in the collectivistic society of China.