Associations between self-compassion and interpersonal behaviours among adolescents during COVID-19: examining the role of gender

Objectives Self-compassion is a predictor of healthy interpersonal outcomes. There is growing interest in comparing the role of self-compassion between males and females, particularly in adolescence, which marks a unique period of social development.Methods Students from secondary schools were invited to complete questionnaires assessing self-compassion, interpersonal emotional regulation, relationship with parents, loneliness, peer problems, prosocial behaviours, and bullying experience. Baseline measurements coincided with the declaration of COVID-19 in Australia. Regression analyses were used to examine associations between self-compassion and measures of interpersonal behaviours, and the interaction of self-compassion and gender.Results Students (n = 553, 47% F, Mage 13.6) from 8 schools participated in this study. Regression models found self-compassion significantly associated with all interpersonal outcomes, except bullying perpetration. Self-compassion was significantly and positively associated with interpersonal regulation skills, perceiving parents as caring, and prosocial behaviour. Low self-compassion was associated with loneliness, perceiving parents as overprotective, peer problems, and bullying victimization. Boys reported significantly higher self-compassion than girls. Interaction results indicate that girls are more likely to bully when low in self-compassion, but not boys.Conclusion Findings demonstrated that self-compassion is associated with interpersonal behaviours among adolescents, differing between genders. Future longitudinal research should explore the directionality of these associations.