FSS-DSOC Luncheon Seminar #5 & Mini-Methods Meeting (M3)

Student violence has increasingly become a focal issue in China in recent years. While academic strain is often cited as a contributing factor, few studies have systematically examined the various types of academic strain and their impact on adolescent violence in schools. Furthermore, the cultural context of student violence remains underexplored, despite recognition that experiences in Eastern cultures may differ significantly from those in the West.
This study addresses these gaps by proposing a model to explain the relationship between academic strain and student violence in Greater China. Specifically, it focuses on the indirect effects of academic strain on adolescent violence in schools, mediated by delinquent peer associations, pro-violence attitudes, and other established predictors of violence. Data were collected through a survey of approximately 9,000 secondary school students from three culturally distinct cities in Greater China: Shanghai, Taipei, and Macao. The survey measured multiple dimensions of academic strain, including poor grades, difficulty completing homework, low academic efficacy, school disciplinary issues, and experiences of bullying victimization. Structural equation modeling was employed to assess the effects of academic strain on student violence and to examine the mediating roles of these factors within the proposed framework.