Peer victimization and behavioral problems in Chinese adolescents: The role of executive function and resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia

Although peer victimization is an established risk factor for behavioral problems in adolescents, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. To address this gap, this study examined whether peer victimization may be indirectly associated with behavioral problems through executive function and whether these associations may be moderated by resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) in adolescents. A total of 298 Chinese adolescents (M_age = 12.88 years, SD_age = 0.69 years, 53% female) participated in this study. Participants completed questionnaires on peer victimization, executive function, and internalizing and externalizing problems. They also participated in a 3-min resting electrocardiogram recording, during which their resting RSA was measured. The results showed that exposure to peer victimization was associated with higher levels of internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescents through its relation to executive function. Additionally, resting RSA moderated these relations, with the indirect associations between peer victimization and behavioral problems through executive function being stronger in adolescents with low rather than high resting RSA. Our findings highlight that poor executive function serves as a potential mechanism linking peer victimization to adolescents' internalizing and externalizing problems, with this process varying by individual cardiac vagal tone.