The Relationship of Family Cohesion and Teacher Emotional Support with Adolescent Prosocial Behavior: The Chain-Mediating Role of Self-Compassion and Meaning in Life

A questionnaire survey was conducted with 1153 adolescents to examine how emotional support within family and school contexts relates to adolescents’ prosocial behavior. Results indicated that both family cohesion and teacher emotional support were positively and significantly associated with prosocial behavior. Further analysis revealed that adolescents’ meaning in life mediated these relationships and that self-compassion together with meaning in life served as a sequential mediating pathway. When the direct effects of family cohesion and teacher emotional support on prosocial behavior were compared, teacher emotional support exhibited a significantly stronger direct association. However, no significant differences emerged between the two sources of support concerning the sequential (chain-mediating) pathways. These findings extend current understanding of adolescent prosocial development and highlight the importance of collaborative efforts by families and schools to meet adolescents’ emotional needs and promote prosocial tendencies.