Associations between perceived material deprivation, social support and violent victimization among Chinese children

Abstract

Background: Evidence has consistently shown that poverty is associated with the violent victimization of children. Most studies have used family income as a predictor of child poverty. However, it is unclear how multidimensional material deprivation perceived by children is associated with their victimization experiences. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the association between children's perceived material deprivation and self-reported violent victimization, as well as the role of perceived social support in mediating this relationship. Participants and setting: This cross-sectional school-based study included 445 children aged between 8 and 16 years living in Shenzhen, China. Methods: The conventional crime module of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ), the material deprivation index based on the Poverty and Social Exclusion in Hong Kong (PSEHK) project, and the multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS) were employed to measure children's experiences of violent victimization, material deprivation, and perceived social support. Results: This study discovered that, when income and other factors were controlled for, children's perceived material deprivation was positively associated with self-reported violent victimization (β = 0.31, p < .01). However, the role played by material deprivation was undermined by high levels of perceived social support, demonstrating the full mediating relationship between perceived material deprivation and violent victimization. Conclusion: The findings of this study underline the importance of understanding and reducing children's perceived material deprivation in poverty alleviation and child victimization prevention. Social support is vital for children who perceive themselves as living in deprived circumstances.