







































Humanitas: Indonesian Psychological Journal  
Vol. 22 (2), August 2025, 197-208 

ISSN:  2598-6368(online); 1693-7236(print)                                                                 

       humanitas@psy.uad.ac.id             http://journal1.uad.ac.id/index.php/Humanitas            http://doi.org/ 10.26555/humanitas.v22i1.1582 

Peer Interaction in School as a Mediator Between Adolescent Self-

Esteem and Coping Strategies 

Alif Muarifah1, Fitriana Oktaviani2 

1Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, Indonesia  
2Department of Psychology, Telkom University, Indonesia  

Corresponding author: alif.muarifah@bk.uad.ac.id 

 

This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license. 

 

Introduction 

The term coping strategy often refers to an individual’s way of managing their emotion and 
behaviors when addressing stressful internal and external demands (Stephenson & DeLongis, 
2020). This process is also common among adolescents, who frequently face a range of 
stressors during this developmental period. Coping strategies are classified as problem-
focused, addressing stressors directly, or emotion-focused, regulating emotional responses. 
These strategies are essential for managing developmental and social challenges affecting 
emotional and behavioral functioning. 

ARTICLE  INFO  

 

ABST RACT  

 

Article history 

Received:30 June 2025 

Revised:26 August 2025  

Accepted:28 August 2025 

 Coping strategies help manage stress in challenging social contexts, 

especially for adolescents facing unique developmental challenges. 

Their effectiveness depends on context, individual traits, social 

responses, and sociocultural factors. This study aimed to examine the 

model of adolescents’ coping strategies in the social context, viewed 

from the peer interaction in school, affected by adolescents’ self-

esteem. 530 senior high school students were involved as participants. 

There were 245 male students and 285 female students aged between 

15 and 18 years old (M= 16.52, SD=0.673) in five schools in Bantul.  

Coping strategy, peer interaction, and self-esteem scales were 

developed to collect data. Data were analysed using Partial Least 

Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 

4. The model exhibited a good fit and showed that adolescents’ coping 

strategies were affected by self-esteem and mediated by peer 

interaction. This study demonstrated the significant effect of self-

esteem on peer interactions among adolescents. Adolescents may 

possess a good coping strategy when having good peer interaction and 

self-esteem. Further findings indicate that most participants’ 

problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies, peer 

interaction, and self-esteem were categorized as the low and high 

category. However, the low category of each variable needs to be 

considered 

 
     

 
Keywords 

Adolescent,  

Coping strategies,  

Peer interaction  

Self-esteem  

 

 

mailto:humanitas@psy.uad.ac.id
http://journal1.uad.ac.id/index.php/Humanitas
http://doi.org/%2010.26555/humanitas.v22i1.1582
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


196   
               ISSN 2598-6368 (online) / ISSN 1693-7236 (print) 

  

Alif Muarifah et.al (Peer Interaction in School as a Mediator Between Adolescent Self-Esteem and Coping Strategies….) 

While problem-focused coping is generally associated with more adaptive responses, 

many adolescents tend to rely on emotion-focused strategies. Adolescents with problem-

focused coping strategies tend to have more adaptive ways to address problems and have 

better perceptions when facing stressful situations (Özer & Korkman, 2022). Prior study in 

Cibinong, West Java, Indonesia, reported that 71.9% of 341 adolescents employed emotion-

focused coping strategies such as avoiding and ignoring problems, withdrawals, and hiding 

problems (Novitasari & Hamid, 2021). Meanwhile, other studies reported that 50-72% of 

384 adolescents in Indonesia engaged in destructive coping mechanism, such as 

hopelessness, self-harm, suicidal intention, showing eating and sleeping disorder, 

uncontrolled anger, giving up, and doing nothing (Kaligis et al., 2021). These studies 

demonstrate that a few adolescents in Indonesia still find it difficult to effectively cope with 

conflicts in their life. 

The problem of adolescent coping strategies in Indonesia, especially at school age, 

needs further attention, especially since coping strategies are related to adolescent academics 

performance (Cao et al., 2021; Gustems-Carnicer et al., 2019; Shih, 2015), considering that 

the results of the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) assessment of 

Indonesia's academic achievement in 2018 ranked sixth from the bottom  (McComas, 2014). 

Previous research found that students who engage in less cognitive avoidance and more 

problem-focused coping achieve higher academic performance (Gustems-Carnicer et al., 

2019). Active coping strategies are usually problem-solving or task-oriented, which would 

help students refocus their minds, exert more effort to overcome challenges, or develop a 

pathway to do better in class (Cao et al., 2022). When facing or experiencing stress, students 

with active coping strategies have the potential to improve their academic performance, 

whereas students with denial coping strategies lack the desire to succeed academically  (Cao 

et al., 2022). Other research showed that students who applied engagement and support 

seeking coping strategies when facing academic challenges showed lower levels of academic 

burnout (Shih, 2015) 

It is important for an adolescent to have a proper coping strategy. It is also necessary 

to scrutinise factors supporting one’s coping strategies. Previous studies show that one’s 

coping strategy is spiritual and social support from parents and friends online  (Defina & 

Rizkillah, 2021), perception (Solicha & Amalia, 2022) and hospitality community with 

scheduled activities such as monthly recitation, substance use counselling, and free medical 

treatment  (Kurniawan, 2018). In addition, the previous study suggests that peer support is 

associated with an increase in effective coping (Richard et al., 2022). Therefore, to attain 

peer support, interactions between peers are necessary. Peer relationships develop during 

interactions between individuals in groups whose members have similar average ages and 

psychological development (Oktaviani et al., 2023). 

Previous studies have shown that peer interaction contributes to one's coping strategies 

(Graber et al., 2016; Oktaviani et al., 2023; Yoo, 2019). A study of 505 college students in 

Jakarta found that peer relationships enhance students' coping strategies, students received 

high levels of trust and insight from their peers (Oktaviani et al., 2023). A study in England 

involved 409 adolescents and showed that friendship quality might enhance a adaptive 

coping style and minimize disengaged and externalizing coping style, meaning that a close 

friendship may serve as a proper mechanism for improving coping skills (Graber et al., 2016) 

Another study in 517 South Korean high school students reported that peer relationship 

might, directly and indirectly, affect one’s self-esteem, behavior focused-coping, and 



Humanitas: Indonesian Psychological Journal 197 
 

Alif Muarifah et.al (Peer Interaction in School as a Mediator Between Adolescent Self-Esteem and Coping Strategies….) 

emotion focused-coping styles (Yoo, 2019). To conclude, good peer interaction tends to 

improve adolescents’ coping strategies.  

 While the previous study showed that peer interaction positively affects self-esteem 

(Yoo, 2019), we assumed that self-esteem may positively affect peer interaction based on 

cultural differences and individuals’ condition.  Our assumption was supported by A meta-

analysis study based on longitudinal data, which found that self-esteem affects peer 

interaction by 0.07. Although the effects are small, this supports the possibility that a person 

displays perceived signs that convey their internal self-evaluation to others, thereby shaping 

social relationship patterns  Other assumptions on cultural differences affecting the self-

esteem role in peer interaction are supported by (Lestari, 2017), who conducted a study on 

adolescents in Malang and found that self-esteem directly contributed to peer interaction and 

indirectly through the moderating role of shyness. The finding shows that adolescents with 

higher self-esteem tend to have better peer relationships and a broader social environment. 

In contrast, individuals with lower self-esteem find it more difficult to build a relationship 

(Lestari, 2017). A previous study conducted by Lestari (2017) took place in Malang with a 

Javanese cultural background, similar to the cultural background of participants in this study. 

Shyness in Lestari (2017) represents one of the effects of shame culture, one of the most 

important norms in Javanese culture (Muttaqin & Saputra, 2019). One’s self-esteem is 

related to their confidence in skill, ability, and social relationships (Abdel-Khalek, 2016). 

The level of an individual's self-esteem may positively influence his/her social relationships 

(Marshall et al., 2014). Meta-analytical study shows that self-esteem affects one’s behavior 

and further affects social relationships (Harris & Orth, 2020). In other words, one’s 

perceived ability to build social relationships may affect how he/she interact with his/her 

friends.  

The term self-esteem refers to an individual’s self-evaluation, made and maintained 

by the individual regarding themselves (Abdel-Khalek, 2016). Self-evaluation is pivotal in 

determining how individuals feel, think, and behave. Negative views on oneself, one’s self, 

situation, and the future may cause individuals to have a negative orientation to a problem 

(Özer & Korkman, 2022).  Individuals are different in terms of stable self-esteem and 

response to stimuli; a person's level of self-esteem often correlates with other life outcomes 

(Westfall, 2020). Previous studies have reported the effect of self-esteem on coping 

strategies  (Meida & Ariana, 2021; Özer & Korkman, 2022). Adolescents with higher self-

esteem may overcome challenging situations with positive attitudes, whereas adolescents 

with lower self-esteem tend to exhibit defensive attitudes due to a limited repertoire of 

positive attitudes us research on 76 adolescent victims of childhood emotional abuse in 

Indonesia showed that the better the adolescents self-esteem, the more effective the coping 

strategies they applied (Meida & Ariana, 2021). It can be concluded that self-esteem 

contributed to coping strategies. 

Based on the description above, it could be concluded that self-esteem and peer 

interaction may affect one’s coping strategies and self-esteem contribute to one's peer 

interaction. This study may extend the existing body of knowledge on coping strategies, 

considering that developing self-reliance and peer relationships are among important 

developmental tasks (Güroğlu, 2022). In addition, this study may serve as further 

consideration for schools in developing mental health programs and educators in dealing 

with students' problems with their peers. This study specifically aims to test the theoretical 

model of the role of peer interaction in relationship between self-esteem and coping 



198   
               ISSN 2598-6368 (online) / ISSN 1693-7236 (print) 

  

Alif Muarifah et.al (Peer Interaction in School as a Mediator Between Adolescent Self-Esteem and Coping Strategies….) 

strategies. No studies have examined the mediating role of peer interaction in the relationship 

between self-esteem and coping strategies. In addition, the research enriches previous 

literature, more research has been conducted on the effects of peer interaction on self-esteem 

instead of self-esteem on peer interaction. It also addresses the limitations of (Harris & Orth, 

2020) research, showing that self-esteem has lower effects on peer interaction compared to 

romantic relationships and parents. This study proposed several hypotheses: 

H1: Self-esteem positively affects coping strategies. 

H2: Peer interaction positively affects coping strategies. 

H3: Self-esteem positively affects peer interaction  

H4: Peer interaction mediates the relationship between self-esteem and coping strategies. 

Method 

Participants 

As many as 530 senior high school students, 15-18 years of age (M =16.52, SD = 0.79) 
participated in this study (245 male students, 285 female students). They were recruited from 
five schools in Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia. The sampling technique 
used was convenience sampling, based on the availability and accessibility of the research 
subjects.  

Instruments 

The research instruments were developed based on the theory that supported each variable. 
Validity testing was conducted using construct validity by examining factor loading values 
and Average Variance Extracted. Reliability testing was conducted using internal consistency 
techniques by examining Cronbach's alpha and Composite reliability values.  

The coping strategies scale was developed based on theories stated by VER (Carver 

& Connor-Smith, 2010; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). This 46-item scale comprising two 

parts: 1) Problem-focused coping strategies, which included active coping, planning, 

suppression of competing activities, restraint, and seeking social supports, and 2) Emotion-

focused coping strategies which included four indicators: escapism, minimization, self-

blame, and positive reappraisal. The scale used a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 

(represents low-intensity behavior) to 7 (high-intensity behavior). The coping strategies 

scale was deemed to be valid and reliable, indicated by Cronbach's alpha 0.84, Composite 

reliability 0.84, and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) 0.56. 

The peer interaction scale was developed following the theory proposed by Mussen 

et al. (1990), consisting of thirty-three items with several indicators, namely a) tolerance, b) 

flexibility, c) enthusiasm, d) being energetic, e) reasonable behaviors, and f) positive urge. 

It applied a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (low-intensity behavior) to 7 (high-intensity 

behavior). The peer interaction scale was found to be valid and reliable, indicated by 

Cronbach's alpha 0.88, Composite reliability 0.88, and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) 

0.51. 

The self-esteem scale was developed based on theories stated by (Baumeister et al., 

1993; Coopersmith, 1967; Dutton & Brown, 1997). Indicators of self-esteem comprised a) 

self-management, (b) responsiveness and adaptiveness, c) self-evaluation, d) competence 

and achievement, e) self-capacity, and f) adherence to values. This 35-item scale used a 7-

point Likert scale, in which 1 represents low intensity, and 7 represents high intensity. The 



Humanitas: Indonesian Psychological Journal 199 
 

Alif Muarifah et.al (Peer Interaction in School as a Mediator Between Adolescent Self-Esteem and Coping Strategies….) 

self-esteem scale was stated to be valid and reliable, indicated by Cronbach's alpha 0.82, 

Composite reliability 0.83, and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) 0.59.  

Procedures 

This study was approved by Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, Yogyakarta Provincial 

Government, Regional Education Agency, and the schools. We asked school counsellors to 

identify students who could participate in this study. They were recruited based on several 

criteria, i.e., 11th-grade students living together with parents whose educational background 

was at least Senior High School. Once participants were recruited, we set schedules for data 

collection. We visited schools and distributed scales to students. Four research assistants and 

five school counsellors helped students to respond to the scale. Students in this study also 

signed an informed consent form. We explained the purpose and procedures for responding 

to the instrument and told them that their data and responses were kept confidential. Data 

were collected in two months, and each participant received a voucher worth at IDR 50,000 

(approximately USD 3.30) for their participation. 

Data Analysis 

Descriptive statistical analysis was applied to describe each variable, specifically for coping 
strategies described by type, i.e., problem-focused coping strategies and emotion-focused 
coping strategies. The mediating role of peer interaction in the relationship between self-
esteem and adolescents’ coping strategies was examined using Partial Least Square- 
Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with Smart-PLS 4. The PLS-SEM analysis 
comprised two stages. In the first stage, the inner model was evaluated using R-square (R2) 
value, predictive relevance (Q2), Standardized root mean square residuals (SRMR), and 
goodness of fit (GoF) index). The following formula was used to estimate the predictive 
relevance: 

Q2 = 1 – [(1- R2 1) x (1- R2 2)] 

Meanwhile, GoF index was estimated using the following formula: 

GoF =√ (mean communality x mean R2). 

In the second stage, hypotheses were tested using Bootstrapping method. Hypotheses 

were supported if the p-value < 0.05. The mediation effect was examined based on the 

Variance Accounted For (VAF), estimated using the following formula: 

VAF = indirect effect / (direct effect + indirect effect) 

A VAF value higher than 80% represent full mediation, the score between 20% and 

80% represent partial mediation, and a score less than 20% indicates no mediation (Hair et 

al., 2021). 

Results  

Descriptive Analysis 

Three categories, including low, medium, and high, were used to describe the distribution of 

data characteristics based on levels. Problem-focused coping strategies exhibited a score 

range of 35-17, while emotional-focused coping strategies exhibited a score range of 21-

138. The peer interaction and self-esteem showed a score range of 45-225 and 53-234, 

respectively. Both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies, peer interaction, 

and self-esteem of most participants were in the low and high category. However, the low 

category of each variable needs to be considered, as more than 36% of participants were in 



200   
               ISSN 2598-6368 (online) / ISSN 1693-7236 (print) 

  

Alif Muarifah et.al (Peer Interaction in School as a Mediator Between Adolescent Self-Esteem and Coping Strategies….) 

the low category. These findings were consistent with the categories of several indicator 

variables, which dominated by low and high categories. 

The problem-focused coping indicator with the most participants in the low category 

was seeking social support (34.72%). While the emotion-focused coping indicators, namely 

escapism, minimization, and self-blame, constitute maladaptive coping for most participants 

in adequate to high categories, and positive reappraisal refers to adaptive coping for 39% of 

participants in low categories. Other findings revealed that peer interaction and self-esteem 

indicators with the most participants in the low category were tolerance (34.91%), flexibility 

(34.34%), and responsiveness and adaptiveness (33.58%). Table 1 presents descriptive data. 

 

Table 1 

 Descriptive analysis result 

  
Mean SD 

Low Adequate High 

F (%) F (%) F (%) 

Problem-focused coping 100 27.41 204 (38.49) 126 (23.70) 200 (37.74) 

Emotion-focused coping 84.4 22.41 195 (36.79) 162 (30.57) 173 (32.64) 

Peer interactions 133 37.11 198 (37.36) 141 (26.60) 191 (36.04) 

Self-esteem 142 39.11 198 (37.36) 125 (23.58) 207 (39.06) 

Problem-focused coping          
Active coping 20.31 7.02 161 (30.38) 193 (36.42) 176 (33.21) 

Planning 19.90 7.15 173 (32.64) 179 (33.77) 178 (33.58) 

Suppression of competing    

Activities 
20.08 7.50 181 (34.15) 165 (31.13) 184 (34.72) 

Restrain coping 19.89 7.20 182 (34.34) 173 (32.64) 175 (33.02) 

Seeking social support 19.82 7.19 184 (34.72) 173 (32.64) 173 (32.64) 

Emotion-focused coping          
Escapism 24.41 8.59 164 (30.94) 190 (35.85) 176 (33.21) 

Minimization 24.17 9.02 173 (32.64) 178 (33.58) 178 (33.58) 

Self-blame 20.02 7.17 168 (31.70) 196 (36.98) 166 (31.32) 

Positive reappraisal 15.77 5.80 207 (39.06) 164 (30.94) 169 (31.89) 

Peer interactions          
Tolerance 24.09 9.24 185 (34.91) 161 (30.38) 184 (34.72) 

Flexibility 23.73 8.95 193 (36.42) 163 (30.75) 174 (32.83) 

Enthusiasm 24.16 9.09 175 (33.02) 174 (32.83) 181 (34.15) 

Being energic 24.36 8.89 177 (33.40) 159 (30) 194 (36.60) 

Reasonable behaviours 16.05 5.82 172 (32.45) 190 (35.85) 168 (31.70) 

Plan activities 20.30 7.62 166 (31.32) 181 (34.15) 183 (34.53) 

Self-esteem         
Self-management 24.09 9.01 176 (33.21) 155 (29.25) 199 (37.55) 

Responsive and adaptiveness 23.88 9.05 178 (33.58) 167 (31.51) 185 (34.91) 

Self-evaluation 25.01 8.82 152 (28.68) 170 (32.08) 208 (39.25) 

Competence and achievement 24.85 8.97 158 (29.81) 169 (31.89) 203 (38.30) 

Self-capacity 20.26 7.34 176 (33.21) 162 (30.57) 192 (36.23) 

Adherence to value 23.83 8.75 163 (30.75) 186 (35.09) 181 (34.15) 

Inner Model Evaluation 

The research model was evaluated based on R2 (R-Square), Q2 (Predictive Relative), SRMR 

(Standardized Root Mean Square Residual), and GoF (Goodness of Fit) Index. The coping 

strategies and peer interaction exhibited an R2 score of 0.99 and 0.96, respectively. The score 

indicated that self-esteem and peer interaction affected coping strategies by 99.5%, while 



Humanitas: Indonesian Psychological Journal 201 
 

Alif Muarifah et.al (Peer Interaction in School as a Mediator Between Adolescent Self-Esteem and Coping Strategies….) 

self-esteem affected peer interaction by 96%. The developed structural model was proven to 

be relevant, as supported by Q2 of 0.99 (Q2 > 0). An SRMR value of 0.04 (SRMR < 1.00) 

indicated a good fit. The GoF value of 0.63 (GoF> 0.36) proved that the theoretical model 

could depict the effect of exogenous variables on the mediating and endogenous variables. 

The inner model analysis shows that the proposed model exhibited a good fit. Figure 1 below 

presents the final version of the proposed model. 

Figure 1 

Final Model 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hypothesis 

The hypothesis analysis result showed H1 is supported by self-esteem positively affects 

coping strategies. H2 is supported by peer interaction positively affects coping strategies, 

and H3 is supported by self-esteem positively affects peer interaction. H4 is supported, 

whereas peer interaction mediates the relationship between self-esteem and coping 

strategies. The effect of self-esteem on coping strategies exhibited a significant increase after 

being mediated by peer interaction. The mediation test showed that peer interaction has an 

indirect effect, indicated by VAF of 0.868 (VAF > 0.80). The following Table 2 displays the 

hypothesis analysis result. 

Table 2 

Hypothesis Analysis Result 

Path Coefficients t value p values 

Direct effect    
Self-esteem -> Coping 0.13 7.81 0.000 

Peer interactions -> Coping 0.87 52.96 0.000 

Self-esteem -> Peer interactions 0.98 571.66 0.000 

Indirect effect    
Self-esteem -> Peer interactions -> Coping 0.85 53.53 0.000 

Total effect    
Self-esteem -> Coping Strategies 0.98 634.37 0.000 



202   
               ISSN 2598-6368 (online) / ISSN 1693-7236 (print) 

  

Alif Muarifah et.al (Peer Interaction in School as a Mediator Between Adolescent Self-Esteem and Coping Strategies….) 

Correlation between variable indicators 

The analyzed results found that each variable indicator had a positive correlation. The results 

of the analysis between coping indicators and peer interaction indicators showed that 

planning, restraint coping, and self-blame had the highest relationship with tolerance. 

Escapism had the highest correlation with flexibility, and positive reappraisal has the highest 

correlation with positive urge. Both active planning and minimization had the highest 

correlation with being energetic, while suppression of competing activities and seeking 

social support had the highest correlation with self-capacity. 

Other correlation test results between coping indicators and self-esteem indicators 

found that active coping, planning, suppression of competing activities, minimization, and 

positive reappraisal have the highest relationship with self-management. Meanwhile, 

escapism and minimisation have the highest correlation with responsiveness and 

adaptiveness, and restraint coping has the highest correlation with competence and 

achievement. Table 3 presents correlation test results. 

 

Table 3 

Pearson’s correlation between variable indicators 

  Peer interaction Self-esteem 

  P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 

Problem-focused coping             
Active coping 0.56 0.55 0.51 0.57 0.54 0.56 0.59 0.55 0.55 0.56 0.53 

Planning 0.59 0.52 0.55 0.55 0.55 0.54 0.58 0.57 0.56 0.57 0.51 

Suppression of competing 

activities 0.56 0.54 0.51 0.53 0.59 0.57 0.58 0.57 0.55 0.53 0.52 

Restrain coping 0.56 0.54 0.53 0.54 0.55 0.53 0.57 0.54 0.52 0.58 0.50 

Seeking social support 0.52 0.53 0.54 0.57 0.58 0.55 0.62 0.58 0.53 0.57 0.51 

Emotion-focused coping             
Escapism 0.42 0.51 0.46 0.47 0.49 0.49 0.48 0.51 0.46 0.49 0.44 

Minimization 0.57 0.53 0.49 0.57 0.54 0.53 0.58 0.55 0.52 0.54 0.52 

Self-blame 0.56 0.47 0.46 0.49 0.50 0.49 0.51 0.53 0.50 0.47 0.51 

Positive reappraisal 0.56 0.50 0.54 0.57 0.55 0.57 0.56 0.51 0.54 0.56 0.56 

Discussion 

The following research results explained that self-esteem contributed to coping strategies. 
This result suggests that the better the self-esteem of adolescents, the better the coping 
strategies they can use to deal with their problems. Adolescents with high self-esteem tend 
to perceive situations as controllable and react with strategies aimed at changing the cause 
of the problem (Lane et al., 2002; Özer & Korkman, 2022). In contrast, adolescents with low 
self-esteem tend to perceive difficult tasks as beyond their control and consequently tend to 
use emotion-focused strategies to reduce negative feelings associated with stressors (Lane et 
al., 2002).  This finding supported earlier research that explained a significant and positive 
relationship between self-esteem and coping strategies in Aydin (Turkey) and Indonesia 
(Meida & Ariana, 2021; Özer & Korkman, 2022). 

The analysis result proved that self-esteem positively affected peer interaction. Self-

esteem derived from self-evaluations may affect relationship outcomes such as satisfaction, 

trust, and intimacy (Harris & Orth, 2020).  Once adolescents’ express beliefs related to 

themselves, it shapes social relationships such as being open, tolerance, willing to help, or 

enthusiasm. This finding supports a previous study by Lestari (2017) showing that high self-



Humanitas: Indonesian Psychological Journal 203 
 

Alif Muarifah et.al (Peer Interaction in School as a Mediator Between Adolescent Self-Esteem and Coping Strategies….) 

esteem positively affects peer interaction. It also suits the Javanese cultural background in 

which this study took place. hat many adolescents still exhibited low self-esteem and peer 

interaction, which was possibly accounted for by the significant influence of Javanese shame 

culture (Muttaqin & Saputra, 2019). The previous study also reported that shyness may affect 

the relationship between self-esteem and peer interaction. However, improper expression of 

shyness can potentially lead to fear, disbelief, and low self-esteem (Chilton, 2012). 

Another finding shows that peer interaction exhibits a strong effect on coping 

strategies. This explains that the higher the adolescents peer interaction, the better their 

coping strategies. In adolescence, peer relationships gain more complexity. Concurrent with 

the growing importance of peers comes an increase in the complexity of the peer system; 

friends' opinions provide an important impact on individual decisions (Scholte & Van Aken, 

2006). Good peer interaction promotes an adaptive coping strategies (Graber et al., 2016). 

and develops active problem-solving skills (Mota & Matos, 2013). This study supports 

previous findings in Portugal (Mota & Matos, 2013), England (Graber et al., 2016), and 

South Korea (Yoo, 2019), showing that peer interaction positively affects coping strategies 

regardless of the cultural background.  

The study’s result proved that the theoretical model fitted the empirical data, 

demonstrating the mediating role of peer interaction in the relationship between self-esteem 

and coping strategies. These relationships have not been extensively studied. This result 

showed that the theoretical model could depict the effect of all exogenous variables on the 

mediating and endogenous variables in this study. It also shows that the effect of self-esteem 

on coping strategies increases when peer interaction serves as the mediating variable. This 

result indicates that a higher level of self-esteem may influence adolescents’ peer interaction. 

Good peer interactions may also improve their coping strategies. Self-esteem refers to the 

self- evaluation that individuals make and maintain about themselves (Abdel-Khalek, 2016). 

Self-evaluation forms a crucial part of determining an individual's feelings, thoughts, and 

actions, which can influence social relationships (Harris & Orth, 2020), and the selection of 

coping strategies (Meida & Ariana, 2021; Özer & Korkman, 2022). In other words, the self-

esteem that a person feels in building social relationships can influence the way they interact 

with their friends. Positive peer relationships provide crucial emotional support, helping 

adolescents feel less alone and more capable of managing their feelings (Butler et al., 2022). 

They can also learn new coping skills by watching how their peers handle stress and conflict 

(Utami, 2024). 

The research findings found that tolerance was positively correlated with planning, 

restraint coping, and self-blame. This describes how tolerance had positive and negative 

impacts on participants. Tolerance is being lenient with negative interference and embracing 

disagreeable differences (Verkuyten & Kollar, 2021). Tolerance reflects self-control to 

prevent unwanted behavior (Verkuyten et al., 2020), in line with planning and restraint 

coping which involves self-control in responding to stressful internal and external demands 

(Carver & Connor-Smith, 2010). In addition, tolerance could put a psychological burden on 

individuals since it could be used as an avoidance method due to fear of offending other 

more dominant people and could result in negative affect and lower well-being (Verkuyten 

et al., 2020). Besides, the participant's Javanese cultural background was another contributor 

to tolerance being positively related to self-blame. Javanese culture, especially in Bantul, 

Yogyakarta Special Region Province, holds the principles of isin (being ashamed), wedi 

(afraid of engaging in wrongdoing), and sungkan (deference) (Diananda, 2021). This 



204   
               ISSN 2598-6368 (online) / ISSN 1693-7236 (print) 

  

Alif Muarifah et.al (Peer Interaction in School as a Mediator Between Adolescent Self-Esteem and Coping Strategies….) 

principle leads to shyness, fear, and discomfort when behaviors are perceived to be 

incompatible with others or norms (Prasanti, 2013). 

According to this study, problem-focused and emotional-focus coping, peer 

interaction, and self-esteem of most participants were categorized as low and high. This 

shows that, most participants use problem-focus coping properly but also tend to use 

emotional-focus coping, possess decent peer interaction and self-esteem, but several 

participants need to improve their peer interaction and self-esteem In line with the category 

of coping indicators, namely escapism, minimization, and self-blame were categorized as 

low and high, while several adolescents also had positive reappraisal and seeking social 

support in the low category. This indicates that a few adolescents in this study had difficulty 

seeking social support and struggled to understand the wisdom behind their problems, 

leading to a tendency to avoid problems, deny the existence of problems, or blame 

themselves unnecessarily. As a transitional period, adolescents begin to spend less time with 

their parents and more time with their peers, sharing their problems with them more (Papalia 

et al., 2010). Adolescents are starting to make increasingly independent decisions about how 

to explore the world, but with a very limited experience base, it is enough to create confusion 

and difficulties for adolescents (McLaughlin et al., 2015), so they tend to use emotion-

focused coping.  

These findings support several previous studies, the of high-category of problem-

focused coping strategies was in line with the results of a previous study with a Javanese 

cultural background in Kroya, Central Java, which found 217 middle school students used 

adaptive coping with a focus on integrity, growth processes, learning, and goal attainment 

(Agustin et al., 2022). The finding of the high category of emotion-focused coping strategies, 

in line with study in Cibinong, West Java found that most high school students in Cibinong, 

West Java employed emotion-focused coping strategies such as avoiding and ignoring 

problems, withdrawals, and hiding problems  (Novitasari & Hamid, 2021). Other previous 

studies show that adolescents from various regions in Indonesia engage in destructive coping 

mechanisms, such as avoiding problems (92%), self-harm (46%), suicidal intention (57%), 

showing eating and sleeping disorders (88% and 92%), uncontrolled anger (70%), giving up 

and doing nothing (75%) (Kaligis et al., 2021). 

This study implied the need for special attention to developing adolescents’ self-

esteem, considering that many adolescents exhibited low self-esteem, which may lead to low 

peer interaction and coping strategies. Parents’ active role is pivotal in developing 

adolescents’ character to improve their self-esteem. Meanwhile, the school may help 

improve students' self-esteem by developing a program that includes the active role of peers. 

Better levels of peer interaction encourage adolescents to employ adaptive coping strategies 

throughout academic challenges. Developing positive peer interactions in the classroom is 

crucial to this effect. Further findings indicate that some adolescents have difficulty seeking 

social support and positive appraisal. Schools can help provide social support in the form of 

attractive guidance counselling programs so that adolescents can confide in teachers and 

have alternatives for help. 

This study was limited to participants in Bantul, and hence future studies are 

recommended to involve broader regions with different norms and cultures from Javanese 

ones. It also examined only problem and emotion-focused coping strategies. Therefore, 

future studies are recommended to scrutinize other types of coping strategies with a more 

comprehensive analysis. This study focused on personal factors and peer relationships in 



Humanitas: Indonesian Psychological Journal 205 
 

Alif Muarifah et.al (Peer Interaction in School as a Mediator Between Adolescent Self-Esteem and Coping Strategies….) 

school, future research may develop the contribution of parents and school management to 

coping strategies. 

Conclusion 

This study suggests that peer interaction in schools provides a mediating influence on the 
relationship between self-esteem and coping strategies. Therefore, positive peer interaction 
enhanced the contribution of self-esteem to coping strategies. This research also discovered 
that problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies, peer interaction, and self-
esteem of most participants were in the low and high category. However, the low category of 
each variable needs to be considered.  

Acknowledgment 

We want to express our gratitude to Ahmad Dahlan University for supporting and funding 

this work under the supported professorship candidate research grant. 

Declarations 

Author contribution. Conceptualization: A.M. Data curation, A.M and F.O. Formal 
analysis: A.M. Investigation: A.M. and FO. Method: A.M. Validation, A.M. and F.O. 
Visualization: F.O. Writing original draft preparation: A.M. Writing, review and editing: 
A.M., and F.O. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
Funding statement. This work was funded by Universitas Ahmad Dahlan professorship 
candidate research grant 
Conflict of interest. The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of 
any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of 
interest. 
Additional information. No additional information is available for this paper. 
 

References 

 

Abdel-Khalek, A. M. (2016). Introduction to the psychology of self-esteem. In F. Holloway 

(Ed.), Self-esteem: Perspectives, influences and improvement strategies (pp. 1–23). 

Nova Publishers. 

Agustin, I. M., Astuti, R. R., Sawiji, Ernawati, Sumarsih, T., & Ediyono, S. (2022). Coping 

mechanism of Indonesian teenagers with online learning education program during the 

pandemic Covid-19. Proceedings of the 3rd Borobudur International Symposium on 

Humanities and Social Science 2021 (BIS-HSS 2021), 601–608. 

https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-494069-49-7_99 

Baumeister, R. F., Heatherton, T. F., & Tice, D. M. (1993). When ego threats lead to self-

regulation failure: Negative consequences of high self-esteem. Journal of Personality 

and Social Psychology, 64(1), 141–156. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.64.1.141 

Butler, N., Quigg, Z., Bates, R., Jones, L., Ashworth, E., Gowland, S., & Jones, M. (2022). 

The contributing role of family, school, and peer supportive relationships in protecting 

the mental wellbeing of children and adolescents. School Mental Health, 14(3), 776–

788. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-022-09502-9 



206   
               ISSN 2598-6368 (online) / ISSN 1693-7236 (print) 

  

Alif Muarifah et.al (Peer Interaction in School as a Mediator Between Adolescent Self-Esteem and Coping Strategies….) 

Cao, J. T., Burgess, B., Foster, J. K., Yaoyuneyong, G., & Wallace, L. K. (2022). Rapid 

transitioning to remote learning: Shared responsibility and coping strategies. Journal of 

Marketing Education, 44(2), 235–249. https://doi.org/10.1177/02734753211044744 

Carver, C. S., & Connor-Smith, J. (2010). Personality and coping. Annual Review of 

Psychology, 61(1), 679–704. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.093008.100352 

Chilton, J. M. (2012). Shame: A multidisciplinary concept analysis. Journal of Theory 

Construction & Testing, 16(1), 4–8. 

https://openurl.ebsco.com/EPDB%3Agcd%3A1%3A12696177/detailv2?sid=ebsco%3

Aplink%3Ascholar&id=ebsco%3Agcd%3A75164987&crl=c&link_origin=scholar.go

ogle.com 

Coopersmith, S. (1967). The antecedents of self-esteem. W. H. Freeman and Company. 

Defina, D., & Rizkillah, R. (2021). Problems, stress, social support, and coping strategies 

during the COVID-19 pandemic: Case of international college students in Indonesia. 

Jurnal Ilmu Keluarga & Konsumen, 14(3), 282–295. 

https://doi.org/10.24156/jikk.2021.14.3.282 

Diananda, A. (2021). Javanese parenting styles: Past and present, and their influence on 

children’s thinking and behavior. Annual Conference on Islamic Early Childhood 

Education (ACIECE), 137–150. 

Dutton, K. A., & Brown, J. D. (1997). Global self-esteem and specific self-views as 

determinants of people’s reactions to success and failure. Journal of Personality and 

Social Psychology, 73(1), 139–148. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.73.1.139 

Graber, R., Turner, R., & Madill, A. (2016). Best friends and better coping: Facilitating 

psychological resilience through boys’ and girls’ closest friendships. British Journal of 

Psychology, 107(2), 338–358. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12135 

Güroğlu, B. (2022). The power of friendship: The developmental significance of friendships 

from a neuroscience perspective. Child Development Perspectives, 16(2), 110–117. 

https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12450 

Gustems-Carnicer, J., Calderón, C., & Calderón-Garrido, D. (2019). Stress, coping strategies 

and academic achievement in teacher education students. European Journal of Teacher 

Education, 42(3), 375–390. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2019.1576629 

Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Danks, N. P., & Ray, S. (2021). 

Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using R (1st ed.). 

Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80519-7 

Harris, M. A., & Orth, U. (2020). The link between self-esteem and social relationships: A 

meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 

119(6), 1459–1477. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000265 

Kaligis, F., Ismail, R. I., Wiguna, T., Prasetyo, S., Indriatmi, W., Gunardi, H., Pandia, V., & 

Magdalena, C. C. (2021). Mental health problems and needs among transitional-age 

youth in Indonesia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public 

Health, 18(8), 4046. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18084046 

Kurniawan, N. (2018). The role of Forum Silaturahim Majelis (FOSIMA) in developing 

coping skills among adolescents in the Cinangka Sawangan Depok urban village [UIN 

Syarif Hidayatullah]. http://repository.uinjkt.ac.id/dspace/handle/123456789/43754 

Lane, A. M., Jones, L., & Stevens, M. J. (2002). Coping with failure: The effects of self-

esteem and coping on changes in self efficacy. Journal of Sport Behavior, 25(4), 331–

345. 



Humanitas: Indonesian Psychological Journal 207 
 

Alif Muarifah et.al (Peer Interaction in School as a Mediator Between Adolescent Self-Esteem and Coping Strategies….) 

Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer. 

Lestari, S. Y. (2017). Relationship between self esteem and peer relation in adolescent with 

divorced parents: Shyness as moderator. Asean Conference on Psychology, Counseling, 

& Humanities, 111–116. 

Marshall, S. L., Parker, P. D., Ciarrochi, J., & Heaven, P. C. L. (2014). Is self‐esteem a cause 

or consequence of social support? A 4‐year longitudinal study. Child Development, 

85(3), 1275–1291. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12176 

McComas, W. F. (2014). Programme for international student assessment (PISA). In W. F. 

McComas (Ed.), The language of science education (p. 79). SensePublishers. 

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6209-497-0_69 

McLaughlin, K. A., Garrad, M. C., & Somerville, L. H. (2015). What develops during 

emotional development? A component process approach to identifying sources of 

psychopathology risk in adolescence. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 17(4), 403–

410. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.4/kmclaughlin 

Meida, G. Z., & Ariana, A. D. (2021). The relationship between self-esteem and coping 

strategies of adolescents who experienced emotional abuse during childhood. Buletin 

Riset Psikologi Dan Kesehatan Mental (BRPKM), 1(2), 1132–1140. 

https://doi.org/10.20473/brpkm.v1i2.28548 

Mota, C. P., & Matos, P. M. (2013). Peer attachment, coping, and self-esteem in 

institutionalized adolescents: The mediating role of social skills. European Journal of 

Psychology of Education, 28(1), 87–100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-012-0103-z 

Mussen, P. H., Conger, J. J., Kagan, J., & Huston, A. C. (1990). Intelligence and 

achievement. In P. Mussen, J. Conger, J. Kagan, & A. Huston (Eds.), Child 

development and personality (pp. 325–378). Harper Row Publishers. 

Muttaqin, F. A., & Saputra, W. (2019). The culture of shame as a vital value in realizing 

public legal awareness. Al-Syakhsiyyah: Journal of Law & Family Studies, 1(2), 187–

207. https://doi.org/10.21154/syakhsiyyah.v1i2.2026 

Novitasari, E., & Hamid, A. Y. S. (2021). The relationships between body image, self-

efficacy, and coping strategy among Indonesian adolescents who experienced body 

shaming. Enfermería Clínica, 31, S185–S189. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enfcli.2020.12.019 

Oktaviani, M., Elmanora, & Hasanah, U. (2023). Parenting style, social support, peer 

relationship, and coping strategies among students during online learning. Journal of 

Family Sciences, 8(2), 249–263. https://doi.org/10.29244/jfs.v8i2.49756 

Özer, E., & Korkman, H. (2022). Investigation of the correlation between self-esteem and 

coping strategies of students attending secondary school. International Journal of 

Progressive Education, 18(1), 42–51. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijpe.2022.426.3 

Papalia, D. E., Olds, S. W., & Feldman, R. D. (2010). Human development (10th ed.). 

McGraw-Hill. 

Prasanti, M. Della. (2013). Children’s values towards mothers with high socioeconomic 

status as viewed from the Javanese ethnicity. Calyptra: Jurnal Ilmiah Mahasiswa 

Universitas Surabaya, 2(1), 1–15. 

https://journal.ubaya.ac.id/index.php/jimus/article/view/389 

Richard, J., Rebinsky, R., Suresh, R., Kubic, S., Carter, A., Cunningham, J. E. A., Ker, A., 

Williams, K., & Sorin, M. (2022). Scoping review to evaluate the effects of peer support 



208   
               ISSN 2598-6368 (online) / ISSN 1693-7236 (print) 

  

Alif Muarifah et.al (Peer Interaction in School as a Mediator Between Adolescent Self-Esteem and Coping Strategies….) 

on the mental health of young adults. BMJ Open, 12(8), e061336. 

https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061336 

Scholte, R. H. J., & Van Aken, M. A. G. (2006). Peer relations in adolescence. In A. E. 

Jackson & L. Goossens (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent development: European 

perspectives (pp. 175–199). Psychology Press. https://research-

portal.uu.nl/ws/files/236638695/10.4324_9780203969861-10_chapterpdf.pdf 

Shih, S.-S. (2015). The relationships among Taiwanese adolescents’ perceived classroom 

environment, academic coping, and burnout. School Psychology Quarterly, 30(2), 307–

320. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000093 

Solicha, S. N., & Amalia, N. (2022). Adolescents’ perceptions of stress coping strategies 

during the Covid-19 pandemic. Borneo Student Research (BSR), 3(2), 1898–1904. 

https://journals.umkt.ac.id/index.php/bsr/article/view/2851 

Stephenson, E., & DeLongis, A. (2020). Coping strategies. In K. Sweeny, M. L. Robbins, & 

L. M. Cohen (Eds.), The wiley encyclopedia of health psychology (pp. 55–60). Wiley. 

https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119057840.ch50 

Utami, F. A. (2024). Peer interaction in improving adolescents interpersonal competence 

(Systematic literature review). International Conference on Learning Community 

Untirta-Indonesia, 1516–1520. 

https://jurnal.untirta.ac.id/index.php/iclc/article/view/27006 

Verkuyten, M., & Kollar, R. (2021). Tolerance and intolerance: Cultural meanings and 

discursive usage. Culture & Psychology, 27(1), 172–186. 

https://doi.org/10.1177/1354067X20984356 

Verkuyten, M., Yogeeswaran, K., & Adelman, L. (2020). The negative implications of being 

tolerated: Tolerance from the target’s perspective. Perspectives on Psychological 

Science, 15(3), 544–561. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691619897974 

Westfall, R. S. (2020). Self‐esteem, Theory of. In B. J. Carducci, C. S. Nave, & C. S. Nave 

(Eds.), The wiley encyclopedia of personality and individual differences: Clinical, 

applied, and cross‐cultural research (pp. 381–385). Wiley. 

https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118970843.ch63 

Yoo, C. (2019). Stress coping and mental health among adolescents: Applying a multi-

dimensional stress coping model. Children and Youth Services Review, 99, 43–53. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.01.030 

  


