Impact of cumulative family risk on Chinese primary school children’s flourishing: parallel mediating roles of teacher–student and peer relationships

Introduction Children’s flourishing has become a central outcome in the study of child development, but its link with the cumulative burden of family risk remains poorly understood. This study examined whether two school-based relational resources—relationships with teachers and with peers—account for the association between cumulative family risk and flourishing in primary school children. Methods A questionnaire survey was completed by 1,673 fourth and fifth-grade children in Shaanxi province, Northwest China. A parallel mediation model with bootstrap confidence intervals was estimated, with sex, only-child status, and household registration entered as covariates. Results Cumulative family risk was negatively associated with flourishing, and the decrement was approximately linear across the number of risk factors rather than accelerating at higher levels. Teacher–student and peer relationships each carried an independent part of this association, and the peer pathway carried the larger share. Discussion Interventions should give priority to children exposed to several family risks. Where school resources are limited, restoring peer relationships deserves precedence, while the teacher–student relationship retains an independent contribution and should not be neglected.