Relations among Poly-Bullying Victimization, Subjective Well-Being and Resilience in a Sample of Late Adolescents

Beatriz Víllora,Santiago Yubero,Antonio Alfaro,Raúl Navarro,Elisa Larrañaga

doi:10.3390/ijerph17020590

Abstract

The present study examined the relations among poly-bullying victimization (experiencing multiple forms of peer bullying), resilience and subjective well-being. This study specifically examined late adolescents’ resilience as a moderator of the relation between poly-bullying victimization and subjective well-being. In a region of central Spain, 1430 undergraduate students (64% females, 36% males), aged between 18 and 22 years, completed three self-reported measures, including bullying victimization experiences, self-reported subjective well-being and resilience. A substantial proportion of the participants (16.9%) reported being victims of poly-bullying. The results showed that the poly-bullying victimization group reported the poorest subjective well-being and the lowest resilience levels. The regression analyses revealed that resilience was significantly and positively associated with subjective well-being, and resilience moderated the association between poly-bullying victimization and subjective well-being. However, the relation was very weak and accounted for only an additional 1% of variance in the participants’ subjective well-being. Future research should assess resilience trajectories of youth exposed to multiple forms of bullying victimization in order to better understand the potential protective effect of resilience over negative mental health outcomes.

Highlights

IntroductionThere is a general consensus among researchers about the importance of the social and psychological well-being of relationships between peers in adolescence and emerging adulthood [1]
There is a general consensus among researchers about the importance of the social and psychological well-being of relationships between peers in adolescence and emerging adulthood [1].when these relationships are characterized by bullying or aggression, they have negative consequences for physical and mental health
Following the criteria used by previous research on poly-victimization [55], these two groups were taken as the poly-bullying victimization group

Summary

Introduction

There is a general consensus among researchers about the importance of the social and psychological well-being of relationships between peers in adolescence and emerging adulthood [1]. When these relationships are characterized by bullying or aggression, they have negative consequences for physical and mental health. During this development period, youths may be more susceptible to bullying victimization effects due to changes in experienced social relationships, intense emotions and biological changes [2]. Bullying is a peer aggressive behavior characterized by persistence, intentionality and power imbalance between victims and perpetrators [4]

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