Linking social relationships at school, loneliness, and academic self-perceptions among primary school children

The present study investigated a theoretical model of the direct and indirect links between children's social relationships at school (i.e., relationships with teachers, peer victimization), loneliness, and academic self-perceptions. Participants were N = 666 primary school children (352 girls) aged 7–11 years (Mage = 8.90 years, SD = 1.06), who completed an online questionnaire. Path analyses indicated that less close teacher–child relationships and higher peer victimization were related to children's loneliness, which, in turn, was associated with less positive academic self-perceptions. Results also revealed some moderating effects of gender. The findings highlight the potentially critical role played by loneliness in determining the association between social relationships at primary school and children's academic self-perceptions.