Child abuse and resilience influence belief in a just world: A moderated mediation model

Abstract

This study explored the relationship between child abuse and belief in a just world (BJW), as well as the mediating role of resilience and the moderating effect of family socioeconomic status (SES). We randomly recruited 514 children from Jiangsu Province, China. The results of a moderated mediation analysis showed that child abuse significantly and negatively predicted BJW. Further, resilience played a mediating role between child abuse and BJW, while SES positively moderated the relationship between resilience and BJW. Compared to those with lower SES, abused children from a higher SES status background had more resilience to improve their BJW. The findings could be helpful for the child welfare system and for social workers to support abused children, especially those from low SES families, to achieve better adaptation and development.