The Psychological and Academic Consequences of Peer Labelling in Secondary Education

Negative peer labelling in schools can profoundly affect students’ well-being and academic performance. This study aimed to examine the impact of peer labelling on students’ academic performance, with emotional, social, and behavioural well-being considered as mediating factors. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, involving a sample of 390 students labelled by their peers across 31 public primary schools in Bhakkar, a district in Punjab, Pakistan. Data were collected using four self-developed scales aligned with the study variables and analysed through structural equation modelling (SEM) using SPSS and AMOS. The findings revealed that peer labelling significantly influences students’ academic performance. Moreover, students’ emotional, social, and behavioural well-being were also found to be significantly associated with their academic outcomes. Notably, the indirect effects of peer labelling, mediated through emotional, social, and behavioural wellbeing, were stronger than its direct impact on academic performance. The study concludes that negative peer labelling, when combined with compromised emotional, social, and behavioural well-being, adversely affects students’ academic achievement