Social exclusion and externalizing problem behaviors of adolescents: A moderated mediation model

Adolescents’ externalizing problem behaviors have attracted increasing research attention in recent years. We explored the relationship between social exclusion and adolescents’ externalizing problem behaviors with a sample of 871 Chinese adolescents, who completed the Ostracism Experience Scale for Adolescents, the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire, the Deviant Peer Affiliation Scale, and the Externalizing Problem Behavior Questionnaire for Adolescents. The results showed that social exclusion was significantly associated with adolescents’ externalizing problem behaviors, and that interpersonal needs mediated this relationship. In addition, deviant peer affiliation moderated the direct effect of social exclusion on externalizing problem behaviors, as well as the indirect effect via interpersonal needs. Our results provide suggestions for teachers and parents to prevent and intervene in the externalizing problem behaviors of adolescents.