Sense of School Belonging as a Mediator of the Relationship between Witnessing Bullying and Internalizing Symptoms

Bullying is a significant public health concern associated with mental health risks. Negative bullying outcomes extend beyond targets, with students who witness bullying reporting negative associated mental health consequences. Because bullying often occurs within the school setting, understanding the relationship between witnessing bullying and internalizing symptoms within the school environment can help shape school-based bullying prevention. The purpose of this study was to examine sense of school belonging as a mediator of the relationship between witnessing bullying and internalizing symptoms. We conducted two studies with middle school students (N = 130; N = 147) in which we used structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the mediational model. Results from Study 1 and Study 2 supported the mediational model, indicating that one explanation for the relationship between witnessing bullying and internalizing symptoms is that witnessing bullying negatively impacts students' sense of school belonging, which in turn increases internalizing symptoms. Results from this study provide support for the importance of students' perceptions of school climate in the development of internalizing symptoms related to witnessing bullying. Implications for school-based bullying prevention programs are discussed.

The mediating effect of bullying on parental-peer support matching and NSSI behaviour among adolescents

BACKGROUND

Being subjected to bullying is a significant risk factor for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents. Parental support, peer support, and social connectedness play protective roles in mitigating NSSI in this population. However, the precise impact of the combined effects of parental and peer support on bullying and NSSI requires further investigation.

METHODS

This study employed the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale, Delaware Bullying Victimisation Scale, Social Connectedness Scale, and the Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory to survey 1277 Chinese adolescents. Polynomial regression analysis and response surface analysis were applied to examine the mediating role of bullying and social connectedness in the relationship between parental and peer support matching and NSSI.

RESULTS

The results indicate that parental support (r = 0.287, P < 0.001), peer support (r = 0.288, P < 0.001), and social connectedness (r = 0.401, P < 0.001) were protective factors against NSSI in adolescents. Conversely, bullying (r = 0.425, P < 0.001) acts as a risk factor for NSSI in this population. Adolescents with low parental and peer support experienced more bullying than those with high parental and peer support, while those with low parental but high peer support experienced less bullying than those with high parental but low peer support (R^2 = 0.1371, P < 0.001). Social connectedness moderated the effect between bullying and NSSI in this model (β = 0.006, P < 0.001).

LIMITATIONS

Due to the under-representation of participants and lack of longitudinal data support, the explanatory power of causality between variables was limited. Future studies should include national samples and incorporate longitudinal studies to enhance the generalisability and robustness of the findings.

CONCLUSION

This study reveals the influence mechanism of parental and peer support matching experienced by adolescents on bullying and NSSI and the moderating role of social connectedness. These findings enrich the developmental theory of adolescent NSSI and provide reference for the prevention and intervention of adolescent NSSI behaviour.

The effect of self-esteem development programme applied to secondary school students on self-esteem and peer bullying victimization: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Self-esteem and peer bullying, which affect the academic success and psychological development of secondary school students, are increasingly becoming a serious problem.

AIM

This study was conducted to examine the effect of the Self-Esteem Development Programme applied to secondary school students on self-esteem and peer bullying victimization.

METHODS

This randomized controlled trial was conducted with 66 students (intervention = 33, control = 33) studying in the 6th grade at a secondary school. Personal Information Form, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Peer Bullying Identification Scale Adolescent Form were used to collect the data. The intervention group received 8 sessions of Self-Esteem Development Programme in the form of one session per week of 45-60 min; the control group continued their routine education programme.

RESULTS

In the study, after the Self-Esteem Development Programme, the mean self-esteem score of the intervention group increased and the mean peer bullying score decreased, and the difference between the groups was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, it can be stated that the Self-Esteem Programme is an effective psychiatric nursing intervention in increasing self-esteem and reducing peer bullying.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICES

Students with low self-esteem are at risk of exposure to peer bullying. This study provides significant evidence for improving the self-esteem and reducing peer bullying among students who are at risk due to low self-esteem and peer bullying. The results of this study demonstrate that the Self-Esteem Development Programme can be utilized to enhance self-esteem and reduce exposure to peer bullying among students.

CLINICALTRIALS ID

NCT04737374.

Longitudinal Association and Mediating Mechanism Between Externalizing and Internalizing Problems Among Children: A Within-Person Analysis

OBJECTIVE

In this multi-informant, 3-year longitudinal study, the bidirectional relations between externalizing and internalizing problems were investigated, along with whether peer victimization and academic achievement mediated their relations after separating between-person effects from within-person effects.

METHOD

A sample of 3238 Chinese children (55.02% boys; Mage T1 = 9.89 years) reported semiannually on peer victimization and both externalizing and internalizing problems, and parents reported on their children's externalizing and internalizing problems. Students' objective academic achievement data (i.e. final exam scores) were obtained from school records.

RESULTS

Random intercepts cross-lagged panel modeling (RI-CLPM) revealed that neither academic achievement nor peer victimization mediated the relations between externalizing and internalizing problems in both self and parent reports at the within-person level. The cross-lagged panel models (CLPM) results supported that peer victimization (but not academic achievement) mediated the relations from internalizing to externalizing problems or externalizing to internalizing problems, whether self-reported or parent-reported. This study also identified meaningful sex differences in focal relations among children.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings illustrate the importance of distinguishing within-person and between- person associations, with within- person findings failing to support the hypothesized mediating pathways of the Dual Failure or Acting Out Models among children.

Trends in Bullying Victimization and Social Unsafety for Sexually and Gender Diverse Students

Research has documented trends in bullying victimization for sexually diverse adolescents in the US, but trends regarding school social unsafety are understudied and there is a dearth of research examining these trends for gender diverse adolescents. This study aimed to identify disparities in bullying victimization and feelings of social unsafety in schools for sexually and gender diverse adolescents. Data stem from the 2014 (N = 15,800; M age = 14.17, SD = 1.50), 2016 (N = 22,310; M age = 14.17, SD = 1.49), and 2018 (N = 10,493; M age = 14.02, SD = 1.52) survey cycles of the Social Safety Monitor, a Dutch cross-sectional school-based study. Findings indicate that sexual orientation disparities remained relatively small, but stable over time, while gender diverse adolescents remained more likely to be victimized and feel unsafe in school, with larger disparities overall. Monitoring these trends is highly relevant, especially considering recent negative developments regarding societal acceptance of sexual and gender diversity.

Gender Sexuality Alliances and School Safety: Who Benefits Most, and Do Additive School-Led Practices Strengthen the Link?

While Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) are associated with higher acceptance of sexual diversity and lower bullying-victimization, it is unclear which individual and school-level attributes strengthen these associations. Nationally representative data (N = 1,567 students; Mage = 15.4, SD = 0.16; 34% boys, 66% girls, 51% heterosexual, 49% sexually-diverse after propensity score matching) in 139 Dutch secondary schools were used. Multilevel regression analyses revealed that GSA presence was linked to more inclusive attitudes about sexual diversity and a safer disclosure climate among sexually-diverse students, and lower general bullying-victimization when the school had a GSA combined with school practices to tackle bullying. School professionals and researchers are recommended to recognize the significance of individual and school-level factors that affect GSA correlates.

Psychological maltreatment by teachers and peer victimization in Chinese youth: Depression and aggression as mediators

BACKGROUND

Psychological maltreatment by teachers and peer victimization are significant public health issues among youth. However, few studies have verified transactional associations between psychological maltreatment by teachers and peer victimization at the within-person level and the mediating roles of depression and aggression have yet to be fully evaluated.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the transactional associations between psychological maltreatment by teachers and peer victimization from middle childhood to early adolescence, separating within- and between-person variation. The study also examined whether youth's depression and aggression mediated the associations.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A total of 4945 Chinese youth (Mage = 9.92 years, SD = 0.73 53 % boys) completed a packet of measures on five occasions at 6-month intervals from May of 2017 to May of 2019.

METHODS

Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models (RI-CLPMs) were used to distinguish between- and within-person effects.

RESULTS

The results indicated that: (a) Psychological maltreatment by teachers predicted peer victimization, and vice versa; (b) Depression (but not aggression) mediated the associations from peer victimization to psychological maltreatment by teachers.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings supported bidirectional spillover effects between adverse teacher-student and peer interactions and demonstrated at the within-person level that such effects were transmitted indirectly via youth's depression.

The Mental Health and Social Implications of Nonconsensual Sharing of Intimate Images on Youth: A Systematic Review

In the past decade, the sending and sharing of sexual images among youth has become normalized. An associated risk of sharing sexual images is the images being nonconsensually shared among peers or uploaded online. This is the first review to systematically identify, summarize, and critically evaluate existing research on the mental health and social impact of nonconsensual sharing of sexual images (NCSSI) on youth. Database (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus) and manual searches were conducted to identify eligible studies. A narrative synthesis and a Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool were used for quality analysis. Of 4,013 articles retrieved, 13 met the eligibility criteria. The findings suggest that NCSSI is associated with negative mental health and social repercussions. Five quantitative studies found evidence suggestive of increased depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation in young people following NCSSI. The identified qualitative evidence highlighted a range of adverse impacts in the social lives of those affected, including associated bullying, harassment, and victim-blaming attitudes that many individuals face following an experience of NCSSI, which may contribute to a negative sense of self and exacerbate distress. Some of the identified studies used unvalidated tools to assess mental health outcomes, and mainly measured depression and anxiety. Most studies more broadly discussed the sharing of sexual images rather than NCSSI specifically. Future research should adopt a narrow focus on the impact of NCSSI and use validated tools to measure various mental health outcomes.

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

BACKGROUND

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.

METHODS

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

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.

Children's bullying victimization and the acculturative stress of immigrant mothers in Korea: Exploring heterogeneity by mother's country of origin

OBJECTIVES

Over the past three decades, the number of multicultural families in Korea, defined as a family consisting of a native Korean and a marriage immigrant, has increased significantly. Although bullying victimization among multicultural family youth is rightfully a growing concern, less is known about the effects bullying has on immigrant mothers of children who have been bullying victims.

METHOD

Using data from the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study, this study investigates whether children's bullying victimization is associated with immigrant mothers' acculturative stress and whether this association differs depending on mothers' country of origin (China, Japan, and Southeast Asian countries).

RESULTS

Fixed effects estimates revealed that children's bullying victimization is positively associated with their immigrant mother's acculturative stress, and this association is robust to controlling for unobserved time-constant individual-level heterogeneity. When stratified by mother's country of origin, the association was larger and statistically significant only among Southeast Asian mothers. No associations were observed among Japanese and Chinese mothers.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that interventions aiming to support bullied children should be expanded to also support their immigrant mothers. Policymakers may wish to consider the specific backgrounds and contexts of immigrant mothers, with special attention to Southeast Asian women. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The overall fractions of coronary heart diseases and depression attributable to multiple dependent psychosocial work factors in Europe

OBJECTIVES

The literature is nonexistent on the assessment of overall fractions of diseases attributable to multiple dependent psychosocial work factors. The objectives of the study were to calculate the overall fractions of coronary heart diseases (CHD) and depression attributable to multiple dependent psychosocial work factors in 35 European countries.

METHODS

We used already published fractions of CHD and depression attributable to each of the following psychosocial work factors: job strain, effort-reward imbalance, job insecurity, long working hours, and workplace bullying. We took all exposures and their correlations into account to calculate overall attributable fractions. Wald tests were performed to test differences in these overall attributable fractions between genders and between countries.

RESULTS

The overall fractions of CHD and depression attributable to all studied psychosocial work factors together were found to be 8.1% [95% CI: 2.0-13.9] and 26.3% [95% CI: 16.2-35.5] respectively in the 35 European countries. There was no difference between genders and between countries.

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that the overall fractions attributable to all studied psychosocial work factors were substantial especially for depression. These overall attributable fractions may be particularly useful to evaluate the burden and costs attributable to psychosocial work factors, and also to inform policies makers at European level.

Association of Childhood Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder With Adolescent Traditional and Cyberbullying Victimization in the Digital Generation: A Population-Based Cohort Study

PURPOSE

This population-based cohort study aimed to examine the association with childhood attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bullying experiences during adolescence among Digital Generation individuals, exploring both traditional and cyberbullying.

METHODS

This study included data from 15,240 participants, collected from the Taiwan Adolescent to Adult Longitudinal Study project. Participants, initially in seventh and 10th grade in 2015, were selected through a multistage stratified sampling approach. Self-report questionnaires assessed traditional and cyberbullying victimization experiences during adolescence, with 5-year longitudinal follow-up. Childhood ADHD diagnoses were identified by linking data to Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from 2000 to 2015. Logistic regression models were employed to examine the relationship between childhood ADHD and bullying victimization while controlling for relevant covariates.

RESULTS

Individuals diagnosed with childhood ADHD exhibited a significantly higher likelihood of experiencing bullying during adolescence (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.28-1.80). This association extended to various forms of bullying, including physical (aOR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.20-1.68), verbal (aOR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.20-1.67), relational (aOR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.22-1.71), and cyber (aOR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.14-1.61). Additional factors positively associated with bullying victimization included male, binge drinking, and depression, while a positive campus atmosphere was protective against bullying. However, there is no evidence for interactions between these factors and ADHD in their associations with bullying.

DISCUSSION

Childhood ADHD increases the risk of both traditional and cyberbullying during adolescence. Recognizing this risk is essential for targeted interventions and further research on underlying mechanisms.

Association between bullying, childhood adversities and social capital among adolescents

This study aims to analyze the association between bullying behaviors, adverse childhood experiences and social capital in late adolescence. Secondary school students aged 15-19 of a metropolitan region of Brazil were recruited for a sectional epidemiological survey, with a sample of 2,281 students, stratified by municipality of school location. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed from three instruments: Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire, Childhood Adversity History Questionnaire and Integrated Questionnaire to Measure Social Capital, in adapted versions. The results showed that the factors associated with bullying victims were gender and adversity in childhood. The factors associated to bullying aggressors were gender, childhood adversities, and cognitive social capital. And the factors associated with bullying aggressor-victims were gender, childhood adversities, and cognitive social capital. It is concluded that bullying is associated with adversity in childhood and also with cognitive social capital and they point out the need to address the causes of violence in order to provide a healthy and safe development for children and adolescents, preventing negative outcomes for physical and mental health.

A Latent Transition Analysis of Aggression Victimization Patterns During the Transition from Primary to Middle School

School transitions provide contexts for adolescents to reconstruct peer relationships and re-establish social positions. Scarce research has captured the transition of aggressor and victim roles during this period and examined associated factors. To investigate the stability and shifts of aggressor and victim roles following the transition to middle school, this study conducted latent transition analysis with 1261 Chinese adolescents (32.6% female, Mage in Grade 6 = 12.1 years, SD = 0.7). Three subgroups were identified across Grades 5 to 8: aggressive-victims, victims and uninvolved. Adolescents were more likely to transition from aggressive-victim and victim roles to the uninvolved group during the transition to middle school compared to the transitions within the same educational phase. Males and those with insecure parental attachment were at higher risk of being and remaining in the involved groups. The findings underscore the dynamic nature of adolescent aggression and victimization and highlight the transition to middle school as a critical window for interventions aimed at helping adolescents disengage from aggression and victimization.

How receiving welfare assistance could be linked to children's bullying victimization: Exploring the potential pathways

The study proposes and tests the pathways from receiving welfare assistance to children's bullying victimization. Specifically, the study examines whether children's difficulty making friends and school disconnection mediate the association between welfare assistance receipt to children's bullying victimization. The 2019 National Survey of Children's Health dataset was used, and the sample consisted of 12,230 caregivers of adolescents, aged 12-17 years. A path model was utilized to explore the proposed pathways. Findings suggest that welfare assistance receipt was not significantly associated with children's bullying victimization. It was positively related to children's bullying victimization through the mediating roles of having difficulty making friends and school disconnection. Schools and communities need to create spaces where youth can connect with peers, which is an important part of their development.

The associations of psychosocial work exposures with suicidal ideation in the national French SUMER study

BACKGROUND

The literature remains scarce on the work-related risk factors for suicide and suicidal ideation. The objectives were to explore the associations of psychosocial work exposures with suicidal ideation in a nationally representative sample of the working population.

METHODS

The study was based on the sample of 25,977 employees (14,682 men and 11,295 women) of the national French 2016-17 SUMER survey. The outcome was suicidal ideation assessed using the PHQ-9 instrument. Psychosocial work exposures included various factors from the job strain and effort-reward imbalance models, and other concepts. Statistical analyses were performed using weighted methods, including weighted logistic regression models. Other occupational exposures and covariates were considered. Gender differences were tested.

RESULTS

The prevalence of suicidal ideation was 3.5 % without any difference between genders. Psychosocial work exposures were found to be associated with suicidal ideation. The strongest association was observed between workplace bullying and suicidal ideation. Associations were also found between job strain model factors, job insecurity, low esteem, work-family conflict, ethical conflict, teleworking, and low meaning, and suicidal ideation. The associations were in general similar for men and women.

LIMITATIONS

The study had a cross-sectional design and no causal interpretation could be done. A reporting bias and a healthy worker effect may be suspected.

CONCLUSION

Psychosocial work exposures played a major role in suicidal ideation. More research may be needed to confirm our results, as suicidal ideation is an important warning signal for suicide prevention. More primary prevention towards the psychosocial work environment may be useful to reduce suicidal ideation at the workplace.

Mental Health Impact of Bullying by Ethnic Peers in Senior Housing: A Study with Older Korean American Residents in the Greater Los Angeles Area

Using data from Korean-American residents (N = 343) in subsidized senior housing in the Los Angeles area, we examined the effect of peer bullying on mental health. About 18% of the sample had been a target of bullying, and over 31% had witnessed someone being bullied. Being a target of bullying was a significant predictor for both depressive symptoms and anxiety, whereas witnessing other residents being bullied was a significant predictor for anxiety only. Findings shed light on the adverse mental health impacts of peer bullying among ethnic minority older residents in senior housing.

Nursing faculty members' response to bullying in the eyes of their students: A pilot study in Pangasinan

BACKGROUND

Bullying is a pervasive issue that can occur in any setting, including among nursing students and within the nursing profession. Faculty members have a vital role in resolving bullying.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the nursing faculty members' responses to incidents of bullying within two nursing institutions in Pangasinan.

DESIGN

Descriptive- comparative design.

SETTINGS

Two Colleges of Nursing in a city in Pangasinan, Philippines.

PARTICIPANTS

Nursing students from first to fourth year BS Nursing students.

METHODS

An online survey was the main tool in this study, Lynch formula was utilized to calculate the sample size. There are 458 nursing students who participated in this study. Frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, one-way ANOVA, and t-test were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

It was revealed that faculty members sometimes address bullying by group discussion (M = 3.26, SD = 1.27), and they almost never utilized non-intervention in bullying (M = 2.33, SD = 0.85). There is a variation in terms of group discussion with a one-way ANOVA score of F (2, 455) = 3.22, p = 0.04, when faculty members are grouped according to their degrees. Regarding the difference between the faculty members' responses to bullying when grouped according to gender, there is a significant difference between male and female for mediation (t(457) = 2.10, p = 0.04), group discussion (t(457) = 2.79, p = 0.01), victim support (t(457) = 2.54, p = 0.01), and disciplinary methods (t(457) = 2.66, p = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The study emphasizes the complex nature of tackling bullying among nursing students. It highlights the efficacy of several solutions used by faculty members, such as group discussions, mediation, victim assistance, and disciplinary measures. The findings indicate that a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics involved in addressing bullying is necessary. This understanding highlights the significance of a cooperative and compassionate strategy that includes all individuals involved in the educational setting. It is clear that a standardized approach may not be enough, and customized techniques that take into account the particular circumstances and requirements of the persons involved are essential.

Cyberbullying victimization and perpetration: The influence on cyberostracism and youth anxiety

Cyberbullying is considered a major threat to adolescent anxiety. In this study, we aim to explore the simultaneous effects of cyberbullying victimization and perpetration on youth anxiety. Building on the childhood adversity model and the vulnerability-stress model, we test the model wherein cyberbullying exposure is linked with cyberostracism, which in turn is expected to be associated with an increase in anxiety. We collected data from 1115 Chinese youth aged 11-19 years based on the stratified random sampling method. Structure equation modelling was conducted in Amos 26.0 to examine the proposed theoretical model. The findings suggested that compared with cyberbullying perpetration, the experience of cyberbullying victimization led to a significantly higher risk of youth anxiety. Multiple mediation analyses revealed that the three dimensions of cyberostracism, namely cyber direct excluded, cyber indirect excluded and cyber ignored, mediated the association of cyberbullying victimization and perpetration with youth anxiety. These results indicate that cyberostracism could be a risk factor for youth anxiety, thus providing new direction regarding intervention programs to reduce anxiety symptoms in adolescents.

Lower subjective social status is associated with increased adiposity and self-reported eating in the absence of hunger due to negative affect among children reporting teasing distress

OBJECTIVES

Low social standing and teasing are independently associated with increased body mass index (BMI) and overeating in children. However, children with low social status may be vulnerable to teasing.

METHODS

We tested the statistical interaction of subjective social status (SSS) and subjective socioeconomic status (SSES) and teasing distress on BMI, fat mass index (FMI), and eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) in children (Mage = 13.09 years, SD = 2.50 years; 27.8% overweight/obese). Multiple linear regressions identified the main effects of self-reported SSS (compared to peers in school), distress due to teasing, and their interaction on BMI (n = 115), FMI (n = 114), and child- (n = 100) and parent-reported (n = 97) EAH.

RESULTS

Teasing distress was associated with greater BMI, FMI, and child-reported EAH due to negative affect (a subscale of EAH) and total EAH scores. There were no associations of SSS with these outcomes. However, there was an interaction between SSS and teasing distress for BMI, FMI, and EAH from negative affect such that lower SSS was associated with higher BMI, FMI, and EAH from negative affect in the presence of teasing distress. However, there were no main effects or interactions (with teasing distress) of SSES on the outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that the relationship between lower SSS and increased adiposity and overeating behaviors may be exacerbated by other threats to social standing, such as teasing. Children exposed to multiple social threats may be more susceptible to eating beyond physiological need and obesity than those who experience a single form of perceived social disadvantage.

Research on the trajectory and influential factors of poly-victimization: A longitudinal study of Chinese adolescents

BACKGROUND

Poly-victimization is more detrimental to adolescents' physical and mental health than is a single type of victimization. However, there has been limited research on the trajectory of poly-victimization among Chinese adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

Identify the different developmental trajectories of poly-victimization among Chinese adolescents over time and examine the influencing factors of poly-victimization trajectories.

METHODS

Data from four surveys conducted between 2020 and 2022, encompassing a cohort of 319 adolescents who had experienced poly-victimization, were utilized to identify their developmental trajectories via group-based trajectory modeling. Potential influencing factors were screened and compared using ANOVA or chi-square tests, while factors affecting the developmental trajectories of poly-victimization were analyzed through multinomial logistic regression.

RESULTS

We identified three poly-victimization trajectories among adolescents: increasing poly-victimization (n = 39, 12.2 %), relieved poly-victimization (n = 228, 71.5 %), and fluctuating poly-victimization (n = 52, 16.3 %). Our findings indicate that boys, and those with poor class grade ranking, a lower level of parental education, lower household economy, smoking, drinking, suicide attempts, and suicide ideation, constitute the primary focus for the prevention and treatment of poly-victimization.

CONCLUSION

We identified three poly-victimization trajectories, highlighting a significant heterogeneity in poly-victimization development. Understanding the characteristics of these developmental trajectories is crucial for realizing the dynamics of different poly-victimization subgroups and informing effective interventions.

The Prevalence and Severity of School Bullying among Left-Behind Children: A Meta-Analysis

The involvement of left-behind children (LBC) in school bullying has raised concern in China. However, the susceptibility of LBC to engage in bullying is controversial, and comprehensive, representative studies covering the entire country are lacking. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and severity of school bullying among LBC. The Chinese National Knowledge Network, WanFang, VIP, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and EBSCO databases were searched for literature on being left-behind and bullying before April 2022. The effect size was measured by odds ratio (ORs), standard mean difference (SMD), and 95% confidence interval (CI). Random-effects or fixed-effects models were selected for meta-analysis, and subgroup analysis was used to explore the sources of heterogeneity. The meta-analysis included 25 studies of school bullying among LBC and non-LBC (NLBC). The prevalence of bullying perpetration and victimization among LBC were 18.58% (95% CI [3.72%, 33.44%], p < .05) and 40.62% (95% CI [25.47%, 55.78%], p < .05), respectively. Compared with NLBC, the risk of bullying perpetration and victimization among LBC increased 1.97 times (OR = 1.97, 95% CI [1.77, 2.20], p < .05) and 2.17 times (OR = 2.17, 95% CI [1.43, 3.29], p < .05), respectively. The severity of bullying experienced by LBC was higher than that of NLBC (SMD = 0.49, 95% CI [0.20, 0.79], p < .05). The prevalence and severity of school bullying were higher in LBC than in NLBC, and left-behindness was positively associated with school bullying. LBC are a crucial population to protect when developing bullying interventions.

The Associations Between Parental Phubbing, Adolescent Phubbing, and Adolescents' Adjustments: A Cross-Lagged Panel Network Analysis

A growing body of research indicates that phubbing can negatively influence adolescent development, it is not clear how perceived parental phubbing, adolescent phubbing, and adolescents' adjustment problems concurrently relate to each other at the dimension level. This study conducted the contemporaneous network analyses and cross-lagged network analysis to examine the distinct relationships between the various dimensions of perceived father phubbing, perceived mother phubbing, adolescent phubbing and adolescent's adjustment problems. A total of 1447 Chinese students (60.5% females; Mean age = 16.15, SD = 0.65) completed a survey at two-time points. The results of the contemporaneous network analyses indicated that perceived father/mother ignorance have the strongest links with the dimensions of adolescent phubbing and adolescents' adjustment problems, suggesting that adolescents who reported high levels of perceived father/mother ignorance are more likely to concurrently face other issues and thus should be a primary focus of concern. The cross-lagged panel network analysis revealed that academic burnout is the primary catalyst in this dynamic network, which underscores a child-driven effect within the network. This emphasizes the importance of addressing adolescent academic burnout as a pivotal intervention point, both to alleviate phubbing in parent-adolescent interactions and to tackle adolescents' adjustment problems.

Bullying Victims' Perceived Social Support and Psychological Health and Prosocial Behavior: A Latent Profile Analysis

The literature on school bullying and perceived social support primarily relies on variable-centered approaches, investigating the independent effects of individual sources of social support. However, victims of school bullying perceive different combinations of levels of social support from multiple sources. Hence, there lacks a holistic person-centered examination of the joint effects of multiple sources of social support. The study surveyed 915 bullying victims (51.9% boys, 48.1% girls; Mage = 13.52, SD = 0.75). Latent profile analysis identified five profiles of social support across five sources (i.e., parents, teachers, classmates, close friends, and online-only friends): online-offline supported adolescents, offline supported adolescents, moderately supported adolescents, close friend supported adolescents, and unsupported. The five social support profiles were associated differently with bullying victims' demographic characteristics (i.e., age, gender, and socioeconomic status), frequency of victimization, psychological health (i.e., subjective well-being, depression, and anxiety), and prosocial behavior. The findings support the heterogenous nature of social support perceived by bullying victims and offer insights into more tailored interventions aimed at promoting the development victims in different subgroups.

Leaders as the targets of workplace bullying - prevalence and outcomes

PURPOSE

Bullying of leaders is an underexplored topic in organizational research. To fill this knowledge gap, the aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of bullying of leaders and to examine whether holding a formal leadership position influences the relationships between exposure to bullying and the outcomes job satisfaction and depression.

METHODS

Data from two separate surveys were employed: (1) A cross-sectional occupation specific sample comprising 678 Norwegian child welfare social workers; (2) A nationally representative probability sample of 1,608 Norwegian employees with two time-points (6 months' time-lag).

RESULTS

Analyzing multiple indicators of workplace bullying, holding a formal leadership position had no impact on the initial risk of being bullied. Analyses of prospective data showed that leaders report a somewhat stronger increase in levels of bullying over time compared to non-leaders, although the effect size was small. With exception of a small buffering effect on the cross-sectional association between exposure to bullying behaviors and job satisfaction in the second sample, holding a leadership position had no effect on the strength of the association between bullying and outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The findings show that leaders have the same risk of being bullied and are influenced by bullying in roughly the same manner as non-leaders. Organizational measures and interventions against bullying should therefore consider leaders as a risk group in line with other employees.