Can Family and Neighborhood Cohesiveness Buffer the Association Between Family Economic Hardship and Children’s Peer Victimization?

The aim of the current study is to identify factors that buffer the link between family economic hardship and peer victimization. We examined whether family and neighborhood cohesiveness moderated the association between family economic hardship and children’s peer victimization. Data were derived from the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health, and the total sample was 14,155 caregivers who responded to questions about children, aged 6 through 11 years old. Analyses included bivariate correlations and hierarchical multivariate regressions. Family economic hardship was positively associated with victimization while family cohesion and neighborhood cohesion were negatively correlated with victimization. The interaction between family economic hardship and neighborhood cohesion was significant. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.