Network analysis of the relationship between bullying victimization and depressive symptoms among adolescents: The protective role of resilience.

The effects of school bullying victimization on cognitive, school engagement, and friendship outcomes

Abstract Bullying victimization is a well-established risk factor for adverse mental health outcomes, including suicidal ideation, yet less is known about the mechanisms linking these experiences for students with disabilities. Using data from the Georgia Student Health Survey ( N = 356,292 high school students across 496 schools), this study examined differences in bullying victimization, mental health difficulties, and suicidal ideation by Individualized Education Program (IEP) status and tested direct, mediated, and moderated pathways among these constructs. Students with IEPs reported higher levels of bullying victimization, mental health difficulties, and suicidal ideation compared to peers without IEPs, although effect sizes were small. Bullying victimization was directly associated with suicidal ideation, and this association did not differ by IEP status. Structural equation modeling indicated that mental health difficulties mediated the relationship between bullying victimization and suicidal ideation, with a partially mediated model providing the best fit. Multi-group analyses further revealed that bullying victimization exerted a stronger effect on mental health difficulties among students with IEPs, which in turn elevated their risk for suicidal ideation. These findings highlight the importance of examining mechanisms of suicide-related risk and underscore the need for school-based prevention and intervention efforts that simultaneously address bullying experiences and mental health, particularly for students with disabilities.

The burden and forecast of major depressive disorder attributed to behavioral risk factors among adolescents and adults at global, regional and national levels from 1990 to 2050: A systematic analysis for GBD 2021.

General Background: Bullying remains a persistent school-based social problem affecting students’ psychological well-being and academic adjustment. Specific Background: Low self-esteem increases vulnerability among bullying victims, while psychoeducation has been proposed as a preventive and rehabilitative strategy. Knowledge Gap: However, empirical evidence on structured psychoeducational programs in Indonesian junior high schools is still limited. Aims: This study examined psychoeducation in strengthening self-esteem among bullying victims at SMP Negeri 2 Wonoayu. Results: Using a quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design involving 15 students, significant improvement was found between pretest (26.27) and posttest (34.73) scores (Sig. 0.000). Students demonstrated better emotional regulation, self-acceptance, and resistance to peer pressure after the intervention. Novelty: This research provides school-based evidence of psychoeducation as a cognitive–educational intervention targeting self-esteem recovery among adolescent bullying victims. Implications: The findings support psychoeducation as a preventive school strategy to foster supportive learning environments and promote students’ psychosocial resilience. Keywords: Psychoeducation, Bullying, Self Esteem, Junior High School, Student Mental Health Key Findings Highlights: Significant score improvement observed after structured intervention. Participants showed positive cognitive and emotional shifts. School-based programs support healthier peer environments.

Bullying-a form of deliberate aggressive behaviour where one peer causes harm to another in the context of a power imbalance-is among the top threats facing youth. Witnessing bullying can evoke many feelings, including anxiety, especially for individuals who have been victimized of bullying in the past. Anxiety can shape how individuals navigate social situations, including if and how bystanders intervene in bullying situations. The current study examined how previous bullying victimization, state anxiety, and anxiety sensitivity interact to influence defending behaviours while witnessing social exclusion in a virtual reality (VR) environment. Data were collected from 40 undergraduate participants who completed self-report measures and an in-lab VR task where they had the opportunity to defend against social exclusion. Although bullying victimization was unrelated to state anxiety, results of a moderated mediation model indicated that trait anxiety sensitivity moderated the link between state anxiety and peer defending. For those with low anxiety sensitivity, increased state anxiety after witnessing social exclusion predicted higher rates of defending. However, for individuals with high anxiety sensitivity, the opposite pattern was found, such that state anxiety predicted lower rates of defending. Given these findings, bullying prevention programmes should consider incorporating strategies to address anxiety sensitivity to promote peer defending.

While bystanders’ role in bullying has been well-documented, the long-term effects of victimization on bystander behaviors have remained understudied. This study examined how bullying victimization influenced students’ bystander behaviors over a one-year period, with a focus on fear of missing out (FoMO) related to uncertainty in social information and grit. Using three waves of data collected over one year from 670 Chinese vocational students (M age = 16.14; 33.7% boys), results indicated that students who experienced early bullying victimization were less likely to defend peers and more likely to become outsiders or support the bullies one year later. These effects were partly explained by increased FoMO on social information six months after baseline. Conversely, FoMO related to general situational awareness did not play a significant role. Furthermore, grit moderated how social information FoMO influenced students’ bullying bystander responses. Specifically, when students experienced higher levels of social information FoMO, those with higher grit showed stronger negative bystander behaviors, while students with lower grit were less impacted by social information FoMO. The findings indicate that bullying prevention and intervention should address uncertainty in social contexts and enhance adaptive coping strategies among students. Impact Statement This study found that students in vocational schools who have previously experienced bullying may become more fearful of missing out on social experiences, which can affect how they respond when witnessing bullying. Students who have higher grit may react more strongly to these fears in unhealthy ways, while those with lower grit may avoid getting involved in social situations. Schools can support students by addressing these emotional challenges and promoting coping skills to create safer and more inclusive school environments.

Several immediate and distal social environmental factors work directly and indirectly with one another to contribute to multiple forms of peer victimization. Bullying is the most prevalent form of peer victimization during adolescence; however, peer victimization typically takes the form of indirect aggression during young adulthood. Therefore, we examined how perceptions of school and neighborhood income inequality worked through perceptions of school climate, neighborhood violence, and neighborhood distrust to predict retrospective adolescent bullying victimization and current young adulthood indirect peer victimization. In a cross-sectional sample of 460 young adults (Mage = 20.2, SDage = 2.18; 59.6% women; 40.4% men; 51.6% White), path analyses revealed that higher school income inequality indirectly predicted higher levels of bullying and indirect peer victimization through lower school climate. Higher neighborhood income inequality also indirectly predicted higher levels indirect peer victimization through higher neighborhood violence. Our findings highlight the importance of targeting adverse environmental risk factors to prevent and intervene in multiple forms of peer victimization across development.

ABSTRACTPsychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are common in youth and predict later mental health problems. Bullying victimization is a robust environmental risk factor for psychopathology including PLEs, but whether its association with PLEs reflects shared genetic liability, individual-specific putatively causal effects, or reciprocal processes is unclear. We analyzed seven waves of longitudinal data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, examining associations across the sample in addition to leveraging within-family comparisons among twin and sibling pairs who were concordant or discordant for exposure to bullying victimization. Using linear mixed-effects and cross-lagged models, we found that youth reporting bullying victimization were more likely to endorse significantly distressing PLEs than non-victimized youth (caregiver-reported odds ratio=2.35; youth-reported odds ratio=4.10). Longitudinal analyses revealed bidirectional associations: prior bullying predicted subsequent increases in distressing PLEs, and prior PLEs predicted elevated risk of later bullying victimization. Genetically-informed within-family analyses indicated that both shared genetic influences and individual-specific factors contributed to these associations; critically, bullied youth exhibited higher odds of distressing PLEs than their non-exposed siblings (youth-reported odds ratio=6.67; 95%CI:4.96-8.96), consistent with an individual-specific effect of victimization. Together, these findings suggest that bullying and PLEs are linked through reciprocal developmental processes that are not fully explained by familial confounding. More broadly, our results highlight bullying prevention as a plausible leverage point for reducing early psychosis-spectrum risk and illustrate the value of integrating within-family designs to help disentangle genetic and environmental contributions to mental health outcomes in adolescence.Significance StatementUnderstanding how early adversity shapes mental health trajectories is important for science and public policy. Using nationally representative, longitudinal twin and sibling data, analyses show that bullying victimization and psychotic-like experiences in youth are linked through reciprocal processes that cannot be fully explained by shared genetics or family background. Bullied youth were more likely to endorse distressing psychotic-like experiences than their own non-bullied siblings, providing rare evidence for individual-specific effects of bullying victimization. Early psychotic-like experiences also increased subsequent risk of being bullied, suggesting a potential feedback loop that may compound risk. These findings demonstrate how social environments and mental health dynamically interact and point to bullying prevention as a population-level strategy with potential to reduce early psychopathology risk.

Purpose This article explores the interconnection between childhood bullying victimisation and mental health and its resulting risk of subsequent drug addiction on a comparative international scale. Toward this, the objective of this article is to bring out the awareness about the abiding impacts of childhood bullying and how it leads to substance abuse and mental health problems in both developed and low- and middle-income nations. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a narrative literature review, where various literature reviews are used as a study selection. The literature review has led to the unfolding of seven themes that depict psychological impacts, causal factors and dilemmas of victimisation by bullies on the mental health of youth. Findings The link between childhood bullying with the mental health of youths who engage in substance abuse has been depicted to be strong. It also shows that victims of childhood bullying are at high risk of developing anxiety, depression and other mental issues. Further, a strong association also exists between drug addiction behaviour and bullied victims among the youth. Findings also indicate that bullying rates and substance use characteristics differ across the world, with developed nations reporting higher cyberbullying rates, whereas developing nations report higher victimisation rates, whether physical or social, resulting in drug addiction. Practical implications This narrative review can be an eye-opener for the schools, communities, organisations and policymakers to establish comprehensive anti-bullying programs and mental health support programs with an aim of eliminating bullying and providing help to the victims of bullying. The article encourages the context-specific interventions, especially regarding low- and middle-income nations in which the level of mental health support and policy implementation is still insufficient based on global policy lessons. Originality/value This narrative literature review will complement the existing research on childhood victimisation by bullying, mental health consequences and its predisposition to drug addiction. It adds an international comparative perspective, establishing cross-cultural similarities and differences, like bullying and its psychological impact. In addition, it provides the necessity of context-specific solutions to focus on these issues.

Bullying is a serious problem among school-age children, contributing to both internalizing and externalizing difficulties. The existing literature does not place much emphasis on the factors explaining the link between victimization and psychological difficulties. This study looked into the roles of rumination and self-efficacy in this relationship. Data was collected from 362 children (202 girls; Mage = 13.1, SD = 1.16) over two points in time, separated by 6 months. Findings revealed a main effect of bullying status (being a victim of bullying vs. being non-involved) on rumination, self-efficacy, and internalizing/externalizing symptoms. Additional analyses explored different existing profiles (non-involved who stayed non-involved, new victims, escaped victims, and continuous victims) in terms of their psychological difficulties, ruminative responses, and self-efficacy. Mediation analyses show that victimization at Time 1 predicts internalizing difficulties at Time 2, but this effect is not mediated by rumination or self-efficacy. Conversely, victimization indirectly predicts externalizing symptoms at Time 2 via rumination. Moreover, internalizing symptoms at Time 1 predict victimization at Time 2 through both rumination and self-efficacy, while externalizing symptoms at Time 1 predict victimization at Time 2 via self-efficacy. The findings provide practical insights for those working with victims of bullying and also lay the foundation for future research.

The (In)Congruence of Individual and Classroom Bullying Victimization: Implications for Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Problems and the Moderating Role of Moral Disengagement.

Cyberbullying has emerged as a prevalent and harmful form of adolescent aggression in the digital age. While prior studies suggest that traditional bullying victimization may lead to cyberbullying perpetration, findings remain inconsistent, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Guided by General Strain Theory and Self-Control Theory, this study explores the longitudinal relationships among bullying victimization, self-control, and cyberbullying among Chinese adolescents. A two-wave longitudinal survey was conducted among 622 vocational high school students over a six-month interval. Participants completed validated measures of bullying victimization, self-control, and cyberbullying. Cross-lagged panel modeling revealed that bullying victimization at T1 significantly predicted cyberbullying at T2, while self-control negatively predicted both bullying victimization and cyberbullying over time. Furthermore, bullying victimization at T2 fully mediated the effect of self-control on subsequent cyberbullying. These findings provide empirical support for the victim-offender overlap framework and underscore the protective role of self-control in mitigating cyberbullying. Implications for intervention and future research directions are discussed.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a prevalent global public health concern among adolescents, with bullying victimization recognized as a key risk factor, while the underlying cognitive mechanisms and interpersonal protective factors remain understudied. This study aimed to investigate (1) the relationship between bullying victimization and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents, (2) the mediating role of rumination in the association between bullying victimization and NSSI, and (3) the moderating role of friendship quality in the relationship between rumination and NSSI. A sample of 692 adolescents was assessed using the Bullying Victimization Questionnaire, the Adolescent NSSI Behavior Assessment Questionnaire, the Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS), and the Friendship Quality Questionnaire (FQQ). Results indicated that: (1) Bullying victimization exerted a significant positive predictive effect on NSSI (explaining 59.85% of the variance); (2) Rumination partially mediated the link between bullying victimization and NSSI, accounting for 40.15% of the total effect; (3) Friendship quality moderated the relationship between rumination and NSSI (β = −0.002, p < 0.001), attenuating the detrimental impact of rumination on NSSI. These findings collectively suggest that bullying victimization, rumination, and lower friendship quality collectively heighten adolescents’ risk of engaging in NSSI.

Background/Objectives: Bullying refers to a specific form of mistreatment that occurs in the school setting and is characterized by intentionality and persistence over time. It should be noted that some elements, such as low self-esteem and lack of social skills, are usually present in both victims and aggressors, so interfering in these aspects can lead to a decrease in the incidence. Thereby, being a victim of bullying is a key factor in the development of multiple mental health issues, such as depression or even suicide. Consequently, mental health nurses play a fundamental role in health education in order to be able to act when necessary and to prevent these types of unfavorable circumstances that can lead to psychiatric disorders. This systematic review aimed primarily to evaluate the effectiveness of psychoeducational programs in reducing school bullying and, secondarily, to analyze their influence on children's self-esteem. Methods: Data were obtained through a comprehensive search of PubMed, Cochrane, and Scielo, following PRISMA guidelines. Studies evaluating evidence-based interventions, including the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP), the KiVa Anti-Bullying Program (KiVa), Positive Behavioral Support systems, and standardized social-emotional learning programs, were eligible for inclusion. Results: Findings revealed that most interventions showed a positive impact on bullying reduction and self-esteem improvement. However, effectiveness differed depending on contextual factors, such as the educational stage, school climate, cultural setting, and the degree of family involvement, as well as the extent to which each program was adapted to the specific needs of each school environment. Conclusions: Psychoeducational programs demonstrate overall effectiveness in reducing bullying behaviors and enhancing self-esteem in children. Nevertheless, outcomes differ depending on school characteristics, cultural context, and the level of family participation, highlighting the need for interventions tailored to each educational setting.

Bullying and victimization are pervasive problems in adolescent social interactions, often creating a cycle where victims may become perpetrators and vice versa. This study investigated how malevolent creativity contributes to this dynamic, and how emotion regulation self-efficacy (ERSE) influences these relationships. Drawing on a sample of middle school students (grades 7th-9th), we explored the bidirectional relationship among bullying, victimization, and malevolent creativity, as well as the role of ERSE, using a moderated network model. Our findings revealed that malevolent creativity is positively associated with bullying behaviors and victimization, potentially escalating aggressive interactions. Importantly, ERSE emerged as a critical moderator, attenuating the pathway from victimization to malevolent creativity by enabling better management of negative emotions, such as despondency-distress and anger-irritation. Findings indicated that malevolent creativity contributes significantly to the dynamics of bullying and victimization. This connection emphasizes the importance of early recognition and intervention strategies. By improving emotional regulation self-efficacy, particularly in relation to despondency-distress, we can disrupt the cycle involving malevolent creativity, victimization, and bullying, helping to promote more constructive peer interactions and a substantial decrease in the prevalence of bullying behaviors in school environments.

Bullying is the most common form of harassment among adolescents, linked to emotional and behavioral issues as well as mental health morbidity. According to data published by the KPAI, there were 17 cases of bullying in educational institutions at various levels in 2021, increasing to 21 cases in 2022, and reaching 30 cases in 2023. The KPAI also recorded that from 2011 to 2019, 574 male students and 425 female students were victims of bullying in schools. Other data related to bullying perpetrators also indicate that 440 male students and 326 female students have engaged in bullying behavior at school (Kemen PPA, 2022). The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between bullying and self-esteem among students at State High School 04 Bengkulu. This research uses a correlational method to determine the strength and direction of the relationship. The sampling technique employed total sampling with a sample size of 129 respondents, who are students of State High School 04 Bengkulu. The results of the univariate analysis show that most of those experiencing bullying fall into the high category, with 28 individuals (21.71%), while self-esteem was categorized as low for 28 respondents (21.71%). The results of the bivariate analysis indicate a relationship between bullying and self-esteem, with a p-value of 0.000 &lt; 0.05, which means that the null hypothesis (Ho) is rejected and the alternative hypothesis (Hı) is accepted, indicating a relationship between bullying and self-esteem among high school students. It is hoped that schools will pay more attention to the issue of bullying occurring in the school environment, as it can trigger low self-esteem

Gender inequality and adolescent bullying victimization among 69 countries and its effect modification by corporal punishment prohibiting laws.

ABSTRACT Background: Bullying remains a major challenge in schools worldwide, with serious psychological and social consequences for students. Physical Education (PE) provides a natural context for developing empathy, cooperation, and respect, making it a strategic setting for implementing preventive programmes. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a judo-based curricular intervention, the A-Judo Programme, on psychosocial development and bullying prevention among school-aged students in regular PE classes. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre–post design was conducted with 415 students aged 10–15 years (M = 12.17; SD = 0.84) from seven public schools in Spain. Participants were randomly allocated by clusters into an intervention group (n = 174) or a control group (n = 241). The eight-session programme integrated judo-based cooperative and reflective activities aligned with the Self-Determination Theory. Pre- and post-intervention measures included validated Spanish versions of questionnaires assessing bullying perpetration and victimisation, resilience, moral disengagement, empathy, impulsivity, and self-determined motivation. Results: Significant group differences favoured the intervention group, who showed reductions in moral disengagement, impulsivity, and bullying perpetration, as well as increases in empathy and self-determined motivation. Improvements in victimisation and resilience followed the same trend but did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: The A-Judo Programme proved effective in enhancing key psychosocial competencies and reducing bullying-related behaviours. Integrating judo-based learning experiences into PE may contribute to the holistic development of students and the creation of safer, more inclusive school environments.

This study aimed to explore the relationship between bullying victimization and multiple psychological symptoms among Chinese adolescents and to evaluate the moderating role of psychological resilience in this relationship. Using large-scale regional data from a county in northeastern China (N = 22,264), we identified bullying victimization subtypes through latent class analysis (LCA), quantified comorbidity risks via multinomial logistic regression, and examined the moderating effects of resilience across subgroups. Three victimization profiles emerged: non-victimized (80.9%), moderately victimized (13.6%), and poly-victimized (5.5%) groups. Compared to the non-victimized group, the moderately victimized group demonstrated higher odds ratios (ORs) for multiple psychological symptoms (all three symptoms: OR = 6.872; any two symptoms: OR = 4.470; any one symptom: OR = 2.610). The poly-victimized group exhibited significantly higher odds across all symptom categories (all three symptoms: OR = 43.678; any two symptoms: OR = 18.246; any one symptom: OR = 5.974). Resilience demonstrated heterogeneous moderation effects: it showed no significant interaction in the moderately victimized group, whereas it was associated with significant risk amplification in the poly-victimized group (OR = 1.040, p < 0.001). Bullying victimization is significantly associated with concurrent psychological symptoms. However, resilience does not universally buffer against stress. For adolescents subjected to severe poly-victimization, high levels of resilience appear to amplify psychological risks instead of providing a buffering effect. The findings suggest that tailored intervention strategies should prioritize victimization severity rather than adopt a universal resilience-promotion approach.