Impact of Experience of Victimization from Parent, Teacher and Peer Violence on Discrimination Behaviors: Focusing on the Mediating Effects of Depression and Self-esteem

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Youngju, Hur

Abstract

The aim of this article was to search how the experience of victimization from parent, teacher and peer violence affects discrimination behaviors through mediation of depression and self-esteem. This study used the data of KYPS by National Youth Policy Institute. The data on 2015 was used. The results of the study and suggestions were as follows. First, students with more experience of victimization from parents, teachers and peers were more depressed, and these students who were more depressed had lower self-esteem. It was found that students with higher exposure to violent experiences from parents, teachers and peers showed higher depression. Those with lower self-esteem tended to show more discrimination behaviors based on personal and background reasons. This means that an individual who experienced violence is likely to become a perpetrator of discrimination behavior; thus, suggesting that human rights education should be strengthened for students with experience of violence. Second, it was found that the experience of violence from parents, teachers and peers directly affected discrimination behavior due to personal reasons and background factors, which had greater indirect influences through mediation of depression or self-esteem. In addition, the independent variables that had a direct influence on discrimination behaviors due to personal reasons and background were experiences of violence from teachers, followed by their peers, and finally, from parents. This suggests that efforts to reduce depression and to improve self-esteem may lower the discrimination behaviors of children and adolescents, but it is more desirable to try to lower the violence victimization experience because the direct impact of violence victimization is greater. In particular, it was suggested that efforts should be made to lower the experience of violence in schools i.e., violence from teachers and peers.

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