Within-person dynamics of identity-based discrimination, life satisfaction, self-esteem, and social support among multicultural adolescents in South Korea

Abstract

In South Korea, multicultural (damunhwa) adolescents represent a growing population that continues to encounter identity-based discrimination in school and peer contexts. Using six annual waves of data from multicultural adolescents in South Korea (N = 1635; 50.5% girls; ages 10–16), this study employed random-intercept cross-lagged panel models to examine within-person prospective associations among discrimination, life satisfaction, self-esteem, and perceived family, peer, and teacher support. Higher-than-usual life satisfaction predicted lower subsequent perceived discrimination across all five time-invariant models (βs = −.08 to −.05), whereas higher-than-usual discrimination predicted slightly lower subsequent life satisfaction (βs = −.04 to −.03). Discrimination did not uniquely predict subsequent self-esteem after life satisfaction was included, although a small negative discrimination-to-self-esteem association emerged when life satisfaction was excluded in the bivariate sensitivity model. When all three support sources were considered simultaneously, family support uniquely predicted higher subsequent life satisfaction and self-esteem (βs = .05 to .08), whereas the corresponding peer- and teacher-support pathways were nonsignificant. None of the three support sources predicted subsequent discrimination. Supplementary interval-specific estimates did not reveal a coherent developmental pattern. The findings highlight the importance of distinguishing stable between-person differences from within-person processes and support sustained, coordinated efforts to promote adolescent well-being alongside direct institutional action to prevent discrimination.