The Effects of Child Abuse Experiences on Peer Relationships and Teacher-Student Relationships of Elementary school students: A Propensity Score Analysis

Objectives The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of child abuse on peer relationships and teacher-student relationships in elementary school students. Methods Data from 2,018 students in the second and third years of the Gyeonggi Education Panel Study were analyzed to examine the effects of child abuse on peer and teacher-student relationships. Propensity scores were estimated based on covariates associated with child abuse. To address potential selection bias and enhance causal inference, the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) method was applied to estimate the average treatment effect on the treated (ATT). The robustness of the estimated treatment effect was assessed through a sensitivity analysis to evaluate the validity of the findings in the presence of potential unobserved confounders. Results First, the peer relationships of elementary school students who experienced child abuse significantly deteriorated following the abuse. Second, In contrast relationships with teachers did not exhibit any statistically significant change after the abuse. Conclusions This study identified the adverse impact of child abuse on the peer relationships of elementary school students. The findings suggest that children who have experienced abuse may encounter significant challenges in forming and maintaining peer relationships. Therefore, multifaceted support, including programs aimed at fostering emotional stability and enhancing interpersonal skills, is essential to promote healthy peer interactions among these children. Furthermore, the finding that child abuse did not exert a statistically significant effect on teacher-student relationships may be attributed to the inherent hierarchical nature of such relationships, which differs from peer dynamics.