Abstract

This study examined whether children's grit had a moderated mediating effect on the relationship among difficulties in peer relations, self-esteem, and depression. This study utilized data from 2,607 fourth-grade students (50.4% male) who, responded in the first year of the 2018 Korean Child and Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS) conducted by the Korea Youth Policy Institute. Results revealed several key findings. First, difficulties in peer relations were found to negatively impact self-esteem, which, in turn, contributed to depressive mood. This indicates that children having difficulties in peer relations tend to have decreased self-esteem, which can subsequently lead to depressive mood. Second, grit moderated the aforementioned pathway, indicating that the influence of peer difficulties on depressive mood through self-esteem varies according to children’s level of grit. These findings underscore the protective role of grit against depressive mood in children in the context of challenging peer interactions. A discussion on the implications of these findings and proposed directions for future research concludes this study.