Peer Victimization and Adjustment Difficulties Among Adolescents: Moderating Effects of Peer Groups’ Prosociality

The healthy context paradox posits that victims’ adjustment difficulties may be exacerbated in healthier social environments. However, evidence for this paradox at the peer-group level remains scarce, and the role of positive group norms (e.g., prosociality) has been overlooked. This study examined the moderating role of peer groups’ prosociality on the relations between peer victimization and adjustment difficulties among Chinese adolescents. Participants were 728 adolescents ( M age = 11.65 years, SD = 1.55, 44.5% girls) nested in 129 peer groups, who provided self-report and peer nomination data. Results revealed that in high prosocial groups, the relationship between peer victimization and loneliness was strengthened (consistent with the healthy context paradox), while the relationship between peer victimization and aggression was weakened. These findings extend the paradox to the peer-group level and highlight the dual role of prosocial group norms—amplifying internalizing distress while buffering externalizing problems—with implications for targeted interventions.