The Impact of Peer Effects on the Socio-emotional Competence of Chinese Boarders and Gender-Based Differences

As boarding schools in China gain prominence and the number of boarders continues to rise, their social development and emotional problems have become a major focus of attention. However, studies have shown that boarders in China may not experience the expected positive socio-emotional development. This study analyzed the impact of peer effects on first-grade junior high school students by comparing data from two periods of the China Education Panel Survey tracking data. It used Propensity Score Matching and Difference-in-Differences method to explore how changes in peer behaviors affected the socio-emotional competence of boarders and how it varied between male and female students in boarding schools. This study found that the adverse effects of peer behaviors on the socio-emotional competence of boarders were more significant than the positive effects. Females were more susceptible to peer effects than males. Therefore, boarding schools should enhance the development of a “soft” campus environment, and teachers and parents should pay more attention to the friendships and socio-emotional competence of female students.