Traditional Bullying Victimization Research Articles

Gender-Specific Effects of Bullying Victimization on Reactive Aggression Among Chinese Early Adolescents: A Longitudinal Mediating Effect of Depressive Symptoms

ABSTRACT In recent years, bullying victimization has received increasing attention from researchers worldwide. The link between bullying victimization and reactive aggression is well-established in numerous studies. However, longitudinal association and underlying mechanisms remain less explored. This study examined gender-specific effects of traditional and cyberbullying victimization on reactive aggression using longitudinal data from 486 Chinese primary and middle school students (51.44% boys, average age = 11.66 ± 1.66 years). Assessments occurred every six months across three waves. Structural equation modeling and multigroup analyses were used to test mediating effects and gender differences. Depressive symptoms mediated the association between traditional bullying victimization and reactive aggression, but no such mediation was observed for cyberbullying victimization. Gender differences were also found (ΔCFI = 0.03, ΔRESEA = 0.01). These findings underscore the importance of gender-specific interventions and supportive environments for addressing offline and online bullying.

Cyberbullying: Risk Factors for Victimization in Rural Schools and the Influence of School Climate.

This study evaluated the prevalence rates and risk factors for cyberbullying victimization and perpetration among 7th-12th grade students (n = 3,396) enrolled in 22 public school districts across Southern Illinois. Risk factors included victimization by traditional bullying, gender identity, cell phone use, and social media usage. We also examined perceptions of school climate and safety. We observed that traditional bullying victimization, gender identity, and social media usage predicted cyberbullying victimization. Similarly, perceptions of school climate and safety were significantly and positively correlated with cyberbullying victimization. In turn, perceptions of school climate and safety predicted cyberbullying perpetration. Rurality was a factor uniquely related to perpetration. Specifically, students from non-rural schools reported higher levels of cyberbullying perpetration than did students from rural schools. Our results underscore the need for intervention and prevention programs to focus on all forms of bullying and parental monitoring of social media accounts.

The bidirectional relationship between peer relationships and bullying: Evidence from cross-lagged analyses among Chinese children.

In the digital age, bullying manifests in two distinct forms: traditional bullying and cyberbullying. Children's peer relationships are important predictors of bullying, and bullying in turn predicts peer relationships. However, few researchers have noted the bidirectional relationship between peer relationships and bullying. The present study used a two-wave cross-lagged longitudinal design to fill this gap. The potential sex differences were also examined in this relationship. The sample consisted of 527 Chinese children aged 8 to 12 years (M = 9.69, SD = .96; 53.5% female). Participants completed peer nominations for peer acceptance, peer rejection and social dominance, as well as self-reports of traditional bullying and cyberbullying. Results showed that peer rejection at the first time point (T1) significantly and positively predicted traditional bullying perpetration, cyberbullying perpetration and cyberbullying victimization at the second time point (T2). Traditional bullying victimization at T1 significantly and negatively predicted peer acceptance and social dominance at T2. The results also revealed significant male and female differences. For instance, among boys, peer acceptance at T1 significantly and negatively predicted cyberbullying victimization at T2. In contrast, this relationship was not observed among girls. The present findings have important implications for understanding the cyclical relationship between peer relationships and bullying and providing practical guidance for improving peer relationships and reducing bullying.

Traditional Bullying and Cyberbullying Victimization Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to use meta-analysis to assess the rates of bullying victimization in the United States (US) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a systematic search of academic databases and a previous meta-analysis database, we collected studies published between 1995 and 2023. Included studies used US-based data and reported on bullying involvement rates among children/adolescents across at least two data points (years), where 1 year had to be from 2020 to 2023. Data were extracted by type of bullying, gender, race, grade level, as well as numerous study-level features. Analyses included random effects meta-analyses, meta-regressions, and moderator analysis. Findings across the 79 studies and 19,033 effect sizes indicate that reported rates of traditional bullying victimization were significantly lower during the COVID pandemic years of 2020 to 2022 compared to the pre-pandemic years (23% vs 19%). This pattern was reflected across gender, grade, and most racial/ethnic groups examined. Overall, rates of cyberbullying victimization remained similar pre-pandemic vs during COVID (16% vs 17%). However, for boys, American Indian/Alaska Native youth, Asian, multi-racial, and White youth rates of cyberbullying victimization were significantly higher during COVID compared to the pre-pandemic period, while rates were significantly lower for transgender/non-binary youth during COVID (39% vs 25%). In addition, we conducted a moderator analysis and used meta-analysis to calculate pooled rates by year. Findings inform the current state of bullying involvement in the US and have implications for school-based bullying prevention practices and policies.

Association between Body Mass Index and Externalizing and Internalizing Symptoms among Chinese Adolescents: Mediating Role of Traditional Bullying and Cyberbullying Victimization.

Externalizing problems, internalizing problems, and obesity are among the greatest challenges to adolescent health. However, the moderating and mediating mechanisms that underlie this association remain predominantly unexplored. In this study, we examined the association between body mass index (BMI) and externalizing and internalizing scores in adolescents, tested whether traditional bullying and cyberbullying mediated the association, and explored the moderated role of sex. The data came from 1486 adolescents from grade 7, 8, and 10 living in Shantou, China. Information on BMI, traditional bullying, and cyberbullying victimization was obtained through a self-administered questionnaire. The students' externalizing and internalizing scores were evaluated using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Furthermore, we built two parallel mediation models with sex as a moderating variable. Compared to their peers with normal weight, adolescents with increased BMI reported higher externalizing and internalizing scores. Traditional bullying and cyberbullying were both significant mediators in the two relationships. Sex moderated the pathway from BMI to cyberbullying. But sex did not moderate the relationship between BMI and traditional bullying. The results highlight that it is imperative for educators to identify students who are subjected to weight-based bullying and provide them with recommendations for effective coping strategies. Meanwhile, both victims of traditional bullying and those affected by cyberbullying should be the focus of prevention and intervention efforts when developing a strategy to improve levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms among adolescents with increased BMI.

The relationship between bullying victimization and problematic behaviors: A focus on the intrapersonal emotional competence and interpersonal social competence

BackgroundEvidence consistently demonstrated that bullying victimization was associated with problematic behaviors among adolescents. However, scant attention has been given to simultaneous comparisons of the impacts of two distinct forms of victimization, traditional bullying victimization and cyberbullying victimization. In addition, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between bullying victimization and problem behavior remain inadequately explored. ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the correlation between bullying victimization and problematic behaviors, as well as the mediating roles of intrapersonal emotional competence and interpersonal social competence. Participants and settingA sample of 26,450 adolescents with a mean age of 15.44 (SD = 0.56) across nine countries was derived from the Study on Social and Emotional Skills (SSES). MethodsData analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling, comprising three key components: the measurement model, the structural model, and the bootstrapping analysis for mediating effects. ResultsBoth traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimization exhibited positive correlations with problematic behaviors, with cyberbullying victimization demonstrating a stronger effect. The mediating effects of intrapersonal emotional competence and interpersonal social competence were observed in the correlation between bullying victimization and problematic behaviors. ConclusionsThis study not only contributed to our comprehension of the underlying mechanisms connecting bullying victimization and adolescent problematic behaviors, but also holds significance for policy development and practice.

The Association Between Bullying Victimization and Problematic Internet Use: The Role of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies

Guided by the compensatory Internet use theory, this cross-sectional study examined the relationship between bullying victimization (i.e., overall, traditional, and cyberbullying victimization) and problematic Internet use (PIU) among 1,141 Chinese adolescents. The study also examined the moderating roles of five core social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies (i.e., responsible decision-making, social awareness, relationship skills, self-management, and self-awareness) between bullying victimization and PIU. Results of structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that more frequent traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimization were associated with a higher frequency of PIU symptoms. Overall, SEL competencies were protective factors against PIU. Moreover, the positive association between traditional bullying victimization and PIU was intensified among students with higher levels of overall SEL competencies, social awareness, relationship skills, and self-awareness. The significant and positive association between cyberbullying victimization and PIU was not moderated by any of the five core SEL competencies. This implies that students with high SEL competencies generally experienced less bullying victimization and PIU. However, once they experienced bullying, they were more vulnerable to have PIU. Implications for school-based bullying intervention and PIU prevention were also discussed. Impact Statement The study demonstrated that traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimization place students at a higher risk of PIU. Overall, SEL competencies were protective factors against PIU. However, higher levels of overall SEL competencies, social awareness, relationship skills, and self-awareness intensified the positive relationship between traditional bullying victimization and PIU. This implies that students with high SEL competencies generally experienced less bullying victimization. However, once they experienced bullying, they were more vulnerable to PIU.

Gender differences in cyberbullying tolerance, traditional bullying victimization and their associations with cyberbullying perpetration among Beijing adolescents

AbstractDrawing upon survey data collected from 632 adolescents aged from 13 to 16 in two secondary schools in Beijing, this study examined the mediating role of traditional bullying victimization and tolerance of cyberbullying between gender and cyberbullying perpetration. The results showed that 6.8% of the adolescents in the study reported cyberbullying perpetration in the past year, while 6.0% of them were victims of cyberbullying. Boys reported higher rates and tolerance of cyberbullying perpetration than girls did. The results also suggested that tolerance of cyberbullying and traditional bullying victimization served as mediators between gender and the perpetration of cyberbullying. Social workers' practices in schools, focused on promoting gender equality, healthy masculinity and the prevention of bullying, are discussed.

The effect of cyberbullying victimization and traditional bullying victimization on suicidal ideation among Chinese female college students: The role of rumination and insomnia

BackgroundThe issue of college student suicide has emerged as a significant global public health concern. To date, there has been a lack of extensive research on the effects of distinct forms of bullying victimization (traditional bullying victimization and cyberbullying victimization) on suicidal ideation, as well as the differences between them. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between two forms of bullying victimization and suicidal ideation among female college students, while also considering the potential mediating effects of rumination and insomnia. MethodsA total of 2106 female college students from Southern China participated in this study. The participants had a mean age of 19.83 years (SD = 1.04 years). Participants completed the MINI-C questionnaire, School Bullying Behavior Questionnaire, Cyberbullying Inventory (CBI), Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). The mediation models were conducted using Model 4 and Model 6 of the Process macro program in SPSS. ResultsThe results showed that (1) the mediating effect of rumination in the relationship between different forms of bullying victimization and suicidal ideation was significant; (2) The mediating effect of insomnia in the relationship between traditional bullying victimization and suicidal ideation was not significant; the mediating effect between cyberbullying victimization and suicidal ideation was significant. (3) The chain mediating effect of rumination and insomnia in the relationship between different forms of bullying victimization and suicidal ideation were both significant. ConclusionThis study endeavor represents the first attempt to investigate the relationship between two forms of bullying victimization and suicidal ideation.

Cyberbullying and Traditional Bullying Victimization, Depressive Symptoms, and Suicidal Ideation Among Chinese Early Adolescents: Cognitive Reappraisal and Emotion Invalidation as Moderators

This study examined how depressive symptoms play mediating roles between cyberbullying and traditional bullying victimization and suicidal ideation and the moderating roles of cognitive reappraisal and emotion invalidation. A total of 1,823 Chinese adolescents (Mean age = 11.20, SD = 1.21, 47.8% girls) participated this study. Results showed that cyberbullying victimization was more strongly related to suicidal ideation than traditional bullying victimization. Depressive symptoms played mediating roles between cyberbullying and traditional bullying victimization and suicidal ideation. Cognitive reappraisal mitigated the effects of cyberbullying and traditional bullying victimization on depressive symptoms, and perceived emotion invalidation strengthened the effect of depressive symptoms on suicidal ideation. Results further showed that the mediating effect of depressive symptoms was more prominent when there were low levels of cognitive reappraisal and more perceived emotion invalidation. Promoting youths’ cognitive reappraisal and providing validating responses to their depressive symptoms could mitigate the destructive effects of bullying victimization on suicidal ideation.

Detecting the risk of bullying victimization among adolescents: A large-scale machine learning approach

There is an increasing interest in using machine learning methods to identify risk factors for problematic behaviors. The current study tested and compared six machine learning algorithms: Logistic Regression, Naive Bayes, Decision Tree, Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), and Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), to detect risk factors for both traditional bullying victimization and cyberbullying victimization among Chinese adolescents. The Random Forest algorithm and LightGBM algorithm obtained similar accuracy and precision, and outperformed other four algorithms. We then combined the feature importance of LightGBM and Random Forest algorithms to evaluate the predictive power of 40 potentially relevant personal, educational, social and psychological factors in predicting bullying victimization, achieving better accuracy and higher performance. These results showed that the combined model can distinguish high-risk and low-risk adolescents for both types of bullying victimization based on a few easy-to-find variables. By comparing the relative significance of each factor, the current study also found mental illness, physical illness, and unhealthy living environments as having the highest values in predicting bullying victimization. Thus, the recommended model has a great application value in preventing bullying victimization among Chinese adolescents.

Applying GST to Understand and Contextualize Bullying: A Conjunctive Analysis of Case Configurations.

Drawing from Agnew's general strain theory, this study examines whether certain risk factors have a consistent effect across different situational contexts that characterize bullying perpetration. A conjunctive analysis of case configurations was conducted to examine and identify situational factors that increase adolescents' risks for bullying perpetration using data from the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey. Results from a sample of 166,176 U.S. adolescents show that (1) incidents of traditional bullying perpetration cluster significantly among dominant situational profiles; (2) students most likely to be bullies experience victimization, but students least likely to bully their peers rarely experience bullying victimization; and (3) being a victim of traditional bullying can increase the chances of traditional bullying perpetration in some situational contexts, but can have almost no influence on perpetration in other contexts. Current findings are discussed considering existing bullying scholarship and recommendations for policy and future areas of research are presented.

The relationship between school bullying victimization and mental health among high school sexual minority students in China: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundSchool bullying has become a matter of global concern for the general public. Sexual minority youth (SMY) may experience minority stress and victimization which are known to adversely affect mental health and happiness. However, a few scholars explored and linked sexual orientation with campus bullying, depression, and anxiety symptoms under the specific cultural background of China. ObjectiveThis study was to examine the effect of traditional and cyber bullying victimization on depression and anxiety among Chinese sexual minority adolescents. MethodsThis is a cross-sectional survey with a total of 3841 subjects among senior high school students in Hunan Province, China. Related information was collected through a series of self-reported questionnaires. The association between variables was examined via a set of logistic regressions. ResultsHomosexuality (OR: 6.398; 95 % CI: 3.321 to 12.325), bisexuality (OR: 3.146; 95 % CI: 1.499 to 6.603) and uncertainty of sexual orientation (OR: 2.341; 95 % CI: 1.516 to 3.615) were significantly associated with a combination of traditional and cyber bullying victimization. Compared to the heterosexual group, the sexual minority students, especially the bisexual students has a higher risk of depressive mood (OR: 2.349; 95 % CI: 1.664 to 3.316) and anxiety mood (OR: 3.049; 95 % CI: 2.150 to 4.324). Further multivariate binary hierarchical regression showed that the effects of sexual orientation and mental health were statistically significant only among those who are not involved in bullying victimization, OR values are from 1.929 (95 % CI: 1.061 to 3.507) to 3.209 (95 % CI: 2.090 to 4.927). ConclusionsHomosexuals are most likely to be victims of a combination of traditional and cyber bullying victims. Bisexuals are most at risk for emotional problems. Sexual minorities in particular, showed differences in mental health risks between bullied and non-bullied groups. More attention needs to be paid to bullying and mental health among sexual minority students in China.

Longitudinal associations between traditional and cyberbullying victimization and depressive symptoms among young Chinese: A mediation analysis

BackgroundThe impacts of bullying victimization on psychological health are long-lasting. However, the longitudinal mediating processes of the association between being bullied (traditionally and in a cyber context) and depressive symptoms of Chinese youth remain underexplored, including across the sexes. ObjectiveThis study investigated the longitudinal association between bullying victimization and depressive symptoms, including the mediating effects of physical health, healthy lifestyles, sleep quality, and academic achievements. Different pathways from traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimization regarding depressive symptoms were also explored, with a comparison across the sexes. Participants and settingData were obtained from the China Education Panel Survey, and ninth graders aged approximately 15 years constituted the baseline cohort. MethodsThe baseline data and longitudinal data at two- and five-year follow-ups, respectively, were evaluated to estimate structural equation models. ResultsBaseline traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimization significantly predicted subsequent depressive symptoms at both follow-ups (P < 0.001). Being bullied also predicted worse healthy lifestyles, poorer sleep quality, and lower academic achievements (P < 0.05), all significantly correlated with the development of depressive symptoms (P < 0.001) regarding both bullying victimizations. Physical health was the mediator of the traditional bullying victimization–depressive symptoms linkage (P < 0.05). Female victims have a relatively higher risk of depression versus male victims, with different mediating pathways from victimization to depressive symptoms. ConclusionsOur findings strengthen the evidence of a longitudinal association between bullying victimization and depressive symptoms, provide new explanations for mechanisms of mediation, and highlight the importance of long-term comprehensive mental health interventions for victims of bullying.

Adolescents' problematic internet and smartphone use in (cyber)bullying experiences: A network analysis.

This study investigates both offline and online bullying perpetration and victimization in association with problematic internet use (PIU) and problematic smartphone use (PSU), while also considering the related psychosocial difficulties. A total of 3939 adolescents (49.4% boys, aged 13-15 years) from a representative sample of schools in Slovakia was obtained from the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) project in 2018. Due to the lack of similar complex research and the expected mutual associations among the constructs, we compared exploratory network models that provided separate estimates for boys and girls. The constructs formed similarly clustered networks for both genders, with a few notable differences. Unlike PIU, PSU was not associated with bullying experiences in boys or girls; however, PSU and PIU were partially related in girls. Bullying experiences formed a strong cluster in both networks. Two strong bridges were identified, and they are potential candidates for intervention in both boys and girls: first, traditional bullying victimization connected the cluster of bullying experiences to psychosocial difficulties; and, second, frequently missing sleep or meals due to internet use (behavioral salience) that is connected to the bullying cluster with PIU. The findings offer an indication for the preventive and interventive work of practitioners who deal with adolescents, as well as complex gender comparisons for the mutual relations of problematic internet and smartphone use, bullying experiences, and the psychosocial difficulties of youth. This study provides evidence that problematic digital media can play a role in bullying experiences irrespective of whether bullying happens offline or online.

Effect of prosocial behavior on school bullying victimization among children and adolescents: Peer and student-teacher relationships as mediators.

In this study, we examined the relationship between prosocial behavior and school bullying victimization in children and adolescents. We also tested the mediating effects of peer alienation and student-teacher closeness, as well as the moderating effect of the educational stage. In total, 538 children and adolescents were recruited from three suburban schools in Beijing, China (252 boys, 286 girls; mean age = 12.47; 237 elementary school students, 101 middle school students, and 200 high school students). The participants were asked to complete the measures of prosocial behavior, peer alienation, and student-teacher closeness at the initial time point and reported school bullying victimization 3 months later. We found that prosocial behavior was directly and negatively associated with traditional bullying victimization (i.e., physical, nonphysical, and relational); however, it had no direct association with cyberbullying victimization. Prosocial behavior was indirectly associated with school bullying victimization (except in the relational dimension) via peer alienation, but no indirect effect of student-teacher closeness was found. Besides, the associations between prosocial behavior, peer alienation, student-teacher closeness, and bullying victimization were found equally among elementary, middle, and high school students. The findings suggest that prosocial behavior is an important factor associated with decreased school bullying victimization, and peer relationships play a mediating role in this association. Our study extends the current understanding of prosocial behavior primarily as a consequence of child and adolescent development to an antecedent (of school bullying victimization), which contributes to a more comprehensive view of prosocial behavior.

Estimating the Psychological Harm Consequence of Bullying Victimization: A Meta-Analytic Review for Forensic Evaluation.

A random-effects correlational meta-analysis correcting effect size by sampling error and criterion and predictor unreliability was performed. The results exhibited a positive (i.e., more victimization and more psychological harm) and significant mean true effect size, implying an average psychological harm associated to bullying victimization of 29.7%. Nevertheless, 26.7% of students victimized by bullying did not develop psychological harm. Bullying victimization causes psychological harm, with an average increase in psychological harm associated with bullying victimization of 29.7%.

The Relationship Between Traditional and Cyber Bullying Victimization in Early Adolescence and Emotional Wellbeing: A Cross-Sectional, Population-Based Study

Despite the wealth of knowledge about the impact of bullying victimization, information gaps exist about how traditional and cyber bullying in early adolescence is associated with emotional wellbeing, namely, indicators of positive wellbeing. Therefore, this study investigated associations between different types of bullying victimization and positive and negative emotional wellbeing indicators, in addition to examining the prevalence of different types of bullying in conjunction with child, peer, and school factors. The study used data from an annual survey of student wellbeing conducted in South Australian schools. The sample comprised of 9019 grade 6 students aged 10–13 years (49.6% female). One-third of students experienced bullying victimization. Verbal bullying was most prevalent in this sample (24%), followed by social (21%), physical (10%), and cyberbullying (7%). Males were significantly more likely to experience physical and verbal bullying, and students living in more socioeconomically disadvantaged communities were significantly more likely to experience physical, verbal, social, and cyber bullying victimization. Additionally, all types of bullying victimization were significantly associated with lower scores on positive emotional wellbeing indicators (happiness, life satisfaction, and emotion regulation) and significantly higher scores on negative indicators (sadness and worries), all with small effect sizes after accounting for child-, peer-, and school-level factors. This research suggests that bullying is associated with both positive and negative aspects of emotional wellbeing, and both aspects of wellbeing are crucial to consider when developing school-based interventions.

Longitudinal relations between traditional bullying victimization and cyberbullying perpetration in elementary school students: Deviant peer affiliation as a mediator.

Longitudinal relations between traditional bullying victimization and cyberbullying perpetration in elementary school students: Deviant peer affiliation as a mediator.

Contextualizing Adolescent Bullying: The Overlap Between Victimization and Perpetration

This study used data from 2019 Minnesota Student Survey to explore patterns of traditional bullying perpetration. Using conjunctive analysis of case configurations (CACC), results from a sample of 166,351 students show that (1) incidents of traditional bullying perpetration cluster significantly among dominant situational profiles; (2) students most likely to be bullies experience victimization, but students least likely to bully their peers rarely experience bullying victimization; and (3) being a victim of traditional bullying can increase the chances of traditional bullying perpetration by as much as 100% in some situational contexts, but can have almost no influence on perpetration in other contexts. Current findings are discussed considering existing bullying scholarship and recommendations for policy and future areas of research are presented.