<p>Social victimization can have deleterious effects on both children and parents. The current study examined the effects of children’s social victimization on maternal adjustment. Findings from 217 mother-child dyads indicated that after controlling for children’s adjustment, children’s experiences of social victimization predicted maternal internalizing and externalizing problems when mothers expressed a high need to belong. These findings highlight a potential child-to-parent psychological spillover phenomenon. Mothers with high belongingness needs may experience their children’s victimization as a threat to their own belonging, which may be associated with maternal maladjustment. These results underscore the importance of understanding parental belonging needs in shaping responses to children’s peer difficulties. Implications for emotional regulation and parent-child dynamics are discussed.</p>