Longitudinal Relationships Between Neuroticism, Peer Attachment, and Bullying Victimization Among Chinese Left-Behind Children

A substantial body of evidence indicates that neuroticism influences bullying victimization and peer attachment among left-behind children (LBC). However, how these three constructs interact at the within-person level remains underexplored. To address this gap, the present study, grounded in the transactional model, employed a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model to examine the longitudinal bidirectional relationships among neuroticism, distinct dimensions of bullying victimization, and peer attachment. A cohort of 604 LBC ( M age = 9.64, SD age = 0.71; 397 boys, 207 girls) was followed across four annual waves. At the within-person level, the results revealed that neuroticism and relational victimization, as well as neuroticism and physical victimization, exhibited bidirectional relationships, whereas neuroticism only unidirectionally and positively predicted verbal victimization. Furthermore, verbal victimization, relational victimization, and physical victimization each unidirectionally and negatively predicted peer attachment. These findings elucidate the dynamic interplay among neuroticism, distinct forms of bullying victimization, and peer attachment among LBC in middle childhood, highlighting the importance of distinguishing among victimization types and targeting bullying victimization as an important intervention focus for reducing neuroticism and promoting healthier peer relationships among LBC.