# Profiles of childhood maltreatment and peer victimization: associations with pathological internet use in Chinese left-behind children

## TL;DR

This study explores how childhood maltreatment and peer victimization are linked to excessive internet use in Chinese left-behind children.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel approach by combining family and peer risk factors to identify distinct profiles of vulnerability to pathological internet use.

## Key findings

- Three distinct profiles of childhood maltreatment and peer victimization were identified using latent profile analysis.
- Left-behind children with migrant mothers were more likely to belong to the profile with severe maltreatment and peer victimization.
- Adolescents in the severe maltreatment and victimization profile showed higher levels of pathological internet use.

## Abstract

Pathological Internet use is relatively common among adolescents, yet few studies have concurrently examined the influence of family-level and peer-related risk factors. This study aimed to use latent profile analysis to identify patterns of childhood maltreatment and peer victimization and to explore their associations with pathological Internet use.

In this cross-sectional study, 1,205 Chinese adolescents (M = 14.6, SD = 1.17; 20.1% left-behind children) completed self-report questionnaires. Participants completed validated instruments, including the Adolescent Pathological Internet Use Scale (APIUS), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), and the Multidimensional Peer Victimization Scale (MPVS).

Latent profile analysis revealed three classes of childhood maltreatment and peer victimization: the low-risk group (80.83%), the severe peer victimization profile (11.86%), the severe childhood maltreatment with elevated peer victimization profile (7.31%). Compared with adolescents in the low-risk and severe peer victimization profiles, boys and left-behind children with migrant mothers were more likely to belong to the severe childhood maltreatment with elevated peer victimization profile. Moreover, adolescents in the severe childhood maltreatment with elevated peer victimization profile reported significantly higher negative outcomes of pathological Internet use than those in the low-risk profile.

These findings underscore the value of jointly considering childhood maltreatment and peer victimization when identifying latent risk profiles, highlight the importance of differentiating specific left-behind family arrangements, and demonstrate the utility of examining distinct dimensions of pathological Internet use in capturing vulnerability to adverse outcomes.