Bullying Victimization, Coping Strategies, and Depression of Children of China

Breaking the Cycle: Perceived Control and Teacher-Student Relationships Shield Adolescents from Bullying Victimization over Time

BACKGROUND

Bullying victimization remains a grave issue in early adolescence. However, existing research often lacks a longitudinal perspective and sufficient attention to protective factors, particularly the dynamic role of teacher-student relationships.

OBJECTIVE

This study explores the longitudinal protective mechanisms against bullying victimization, focusing on the roles of perceived control and teacher-student relationships.

METHODS

A sample of 1454 adolescents (mean age = 13.63 years, SD = 0.76, 51% female) was followed over the course of one year. Latent growth models were employed to examine the developmental trajectories of bullying victimization, perceived control, and teacher-student relationships, and to investigate the longitudinal mediating role of teacher-student relationships in the relationship between perceived control and bullying victimization.

RESULTS

Both perceived control and teacher-student relationships showed a consistent increase over time, while bullying victimization declined over time. The intercept of perceived control negatively predicted the intercept of bullying victimization, with this relationship mediated by the intercept of teacher-student relationships. Furthermore, the slope of perceived control affected the slope of bullying victimization solely through the slope of teacher-student relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight that perceived control serves as a stable protective factor against bullying, while strong teacher-student relationships can further reduce bullying victimization. Enhancing students' perceived control and fostering supportive teacher-student relationships should be key components of anti-bullying interventions.

The Relationship between Coping Strategies and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems of Bullied Students: The Moderating Role of Classroom Discipline Management

Bullying has become a worldwide concern, and is particularly serious in vocational high schools in China. The bullied students typically resort to coping strategies to mitigate its adverse consequences. However, there is a lack of research on which bullying coping strategies might mitigate the negative effects of bullying on students and which types of classroom discipline management might play a moderating role. The participants were 1483 students from a vocational high school. The Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire was used to identify 251 students who had experienced bullying. The results showed that: cognitive distancing significantly negatively predicted the externalizing problems of bullied students, while revenge seeking significantly positively predicted their externalizing problems. Seeking adult support and cognitive distancing significantly and negatively predicted the internalizing problems, while passive coping significantly positively predicted their internalizing problems. Discipline management played a moderating role in the relationship between coping strategies and externalizing problems. These findings suggest that seeking support from teachers and parents through open communication is encouraged, as it was shown to reduce internalizing problems. While cognitive distancing may offer temporary relief, revenge seeking and passive coping had detrimental effects on externalizing or internalizing problems. Positive disciplinary management mitigated externalizing problems for bullied students who used passive coping. However, punitive management potentially exacerbated externalizing problems for students who sought revenge. Furthermore, SEL programs only benefited those with low levels of passive coping. Special attention needs to be paid to bullied students who use passive coping or seek revenge, and guide them toward more adaptive responses.

The School Bullying Victimization in Adolescents With Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: The Role of Coping Strategies and Emotion Regulation

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between school bullying victimization and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) frequency, taking into consideration the mediating roles of coping strategies and emotional regulation. Participants were 12-18-year-old outpatients and inpatients who met the NSSI and depressive disorder criteria according to the DSM-5. Assessments included the Multidimensional Peer-Victimization Scale, Coping Style Scale for Middle School Students, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents, and the Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation to examine the bullying victimization, coping strategies, emotion regulation, and NSSI behaviour. Serial multiple mediation effects of coping strategies and emotion regulation between bullying victimization and NSSI frequency were analysed using the SPSS macro PROCESS programme. A total of 2335 participants were included in this study. Bullying victimization significantly predicted NSSI frequency (B = 0.191, p < 0.001). Both coping strategies and emotion regulation were important mediators in the relationship between bullying victimization and NSSI frequency. Bullying victimization indirectly affected NSSI through two serial mediation pathways: (1) bullying victimization → problem-focused coping → cognitive reappraisal → NSSI frequency, and (2) bullying victimization → emotion-focused coping→ expressive suppression → NSSI frequency. The study revealed a positive association between bullying victimization and the frequency of NSSI among adolescents with depressive disorder. Strategies of coping and emotional regulation significantly mediated the link between bullying victimization and the frequency of NSSI. The findings suggested that supporting adolescents in adopting effective coping and emotional regulation strategies could be a crucial approach to mitigate the impact of bullying victimization on the frequency of NSSI.

Prevalence and associated factors of school bullying among adolescents in Inner Mongolia, China

Background

Although studies in China have found that school bullying is prevalent among adolescents, most relevant research has focused on southern China, while research in northern China is limited. This study aimed to explore ethnic disparities in the socio-demographic determinants of school bullying in Inner Mongolia, a northern region of China.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2891 adolescents in Inner Mongolia, China, from September to December 2022. Data on participants' sociodemographic characteristics and school bullying experiences were collected through questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression analyses, stratified by ethnicity, were employed to examine factors associated with school bullying. Furthermore, subgroup analyses and interaction tests were conducted to explore potential effect modifiers of the relationship between ethnicity and bullying.

Results

The prevalence of school bullying was 18.99 % (549/2891) overall, with 17.96 % (420/2339) among Han and 23.37 % (129/552) among ethnic minorities. Minority adolescents faced a higher risk of bullying compared to Han (OR = 1.35, 95 % CI: 1.08-1.69, P < 0.05). Middle school students were more vulnerable to bullying than high school students (OR = 1.25, 95%CI:1.03-1.52, P < 0.05). Among Han adolescents, having a mother with high school education was protective against bullying (OR = 0.71, 95 % CI: 0.54-0.93, P < 0.05), while it was an associated factor for minorities (OR = 2.06, 95%CI:1.23-3.46, P < 0.05). Good family economic status was an associated factor for bullying among Han (OR = 1.62, 95%CI: 1.11-2.36, P < 0.05), but not among minorities. Belonging to other family structures (remarriage/foster family, intergenerational families, live with relatives and elders) was an associated factor for minorities (OR = 2.60, 95 % CI: 1.37-4.92, P < 0.05), but not for Han. Subgroup analyses revealed significant ethnic disparities in bullying experiences among middle school students, those from nuclear family, other family, and fair economic backgrounds (all P < 0.05). Interaction effects between ethnicity and these variables were not significant (all P > 0.05).

Limitations

This cross-sectional study has limitations in establishing causal relationships between identified associated factors and school bullying.

Conclusions

Ethnic minority adolescents in Inner Mongolia, China, especially middle school students, face a higher risk of school bullying than their Han peers. The differential impact of maternal education, family economic status, and family structure on bullying risk between Han and minority adolescents underscores the need for culturally sensitive, targeted interventions that consider the unique challenges faced by ethnic minority students.

Adolescent Patients'experiences of Mental Disorders Related to School Bullying

Objective

The purpose of this study was to explore the real inner experience and nursing needs of adolescent patients who suffered from school bullying, and to develop a treatment plan to restore adolescent mental health.

Methods

Using the maximum difference sampling method, 15 adolescent patients were interviewed by psychologists and nurses, and the interview results were analyzed by topic induction.

Results

Among the 15 participants, 12 (80%) felt helpless, 13 (86.7%) had serious negative emotions, and 10 (66.7%) felt anxious about personal growth. Based on the semi-structured interviews, the psychological states of participants were summarized into three themes: Helplessness, Severe negative emotions, and Anxiety about personal growth. Under the theme of serious negative emotions, it was further divided into three sub-themes: Frustration and Distrust, Rebellion, Insecurity and depression. These themes reflected the significant impact of school bullying on the psychological status of the participants.

Conclusion

The internal experience of adolescent patients with mental disorders caused by school bullying mainly includes helplessness, serious negative emotions and anxiety about personal growth. It is recommended to evaluate and diagnose patients' existing and potential health problems individually during clinical treatment and care. On the basis of comprehensive assessment, psychological counseling should be provided and support from family and school should be sought to promote positive mental health and personal growth of adolescents.

Victimization, polyvictimization, and depression symptoms among immigrants and native children and youth in Chile

BACKGROUND

Migration exposes children and youth to vulnerabilities, including uprooting, lack of protection, limited access to services, and violence. Previous studies have shown that victimization experiences impact the mental health of migrant children, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. This study aims to examine the co-occurrence of multiple forms of maltreatment (polyvictimization) among migrant and Chilean children and youth and its association with depressive symptoms, addressing a research gap in Latin America.

METHODS

Secondary data from the National Polyvictimization Survey (NPS) conducted by the Chilean Ministry of the Interior were analyzed. Measures assessing polyvictimization and depressive symptoms were administered to a sample of 1362 participants, with equal group sizes for migrants and Chilean-born individuals. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, group comparisons, correlation analyses, and multiple regression analyses.

RESULTS

The study revealed marked differences in experiences of conventional crime victimization and polyvictimization between migrant and Chilean-born participants, with migrants facing slightly higher incidences. Correlational analysis indicated variable strengths of association between victimization types and depressive symptoms across groups, with Chilean-born individuals showing stronger correlations for certain victimization forms. Multiple regression analysis highlighted gender, polyvictimization, child maltreatment, internet victimization, sexual victimization, and peer/sibling victimization as significant predictors of depressive symptoms across the sample. Notably, an interaction was observed between child maltreatment and migrant status, indicating a mitigated impact of maltreatment on depressive symptoms among migrant adolescents. This suggests the potential for unique resilience or coping mechanisms in this group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study elucidates the varied victimization experiences of migrant children and youth in Chile, with a notable emphasis on the mitigating effect of migrant status on the relationship between child maltreatment and depressive symptoms. It highlights the resilience and potential adaptive strategies of migrant minors facing adversity. The findings underscore the necessity of developing support and intervention strategies that recognize the specific needs and strengths of migrant children and youth, advocating for policies that protect and empower this vulnerable demographic amidst new environmental challenges.

Bidirectional Longitudinal Associations between Parental Psychological Control and Peer Victimization among Chinese Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction

Despite evidence indicating a connection between inappropriate parenting styles and peer victimization, the dynamic processes and mechanisms underlying this link and whether it is consistent across genders and different developmental stages have yet to be explored. To address these gaps, the current 2-year longitudinal study explored the potential bidirectional associations between parental psychological control and peer victimization, as well as the mediating role of adolescent basic psychological need satisfaction. A total of 4,990 adolescents (49.4% boys, Mage T1 = 12.21 years, SDage T1 = 2.60) across different developmental stages (early adolescents, N = 1,819, 49.2% boys, Mage T1 = 9.34 years, SDage T1 = 0.62; middle adolescents, N = 1,525, 50.75% boys, Mage T1 = 12.47 years, SDage T1 = 0.69; late adolescents, N = 1,646, 46.5% boys, Mage T1 = 15.26 years, SDage T1 = 0.50) participated in this three-wave longitudinal survey. The results revealed that parental psychological control was bidirectionally associated with peer victimization. Additionally, basic psychological need satisfaction played the meditating role in this vicious cycle. Further analysis demonstrated interesting developmental differences. Parental psychological control was directly associated with subsequent peer victimization at all three developmental stages, and peer victimization was only directly associated with subsequent parental psychological control in the next year among early adolescents and middle adolescents. The mutual mediating role of basic psychological need satisfaction between parental psychological control and peer victimization was observed exclusively in early adolescents. Both male and female adolescents could be equally affected by these dynamics. This research underscores the reciprocal dynamics inherent in parent-child interactions, intervening in either of these processes (i.e., family, peers, and adolescent basic psychological need satisfaction) may break this destructive cycle.

Motivational mediation between coping and post-traumatic growth in previously bullied college students

Research has consistently shown that experiences of peer victimization may have long lasting negative consequences on health and academic achievement. Less attention has been paid to the association between past bullying and post-traumatic growth in college students. This cross-sectional study aims to examine the role of different motivational orientations (The Behavioral Inhibition and Behavioral Activation Systems (BIS/BAS) and regulatory focus) as potential mediators between cognitive strategies (rumination and resilient coping) and post-traumatic growth (PTG). Using a large sample of 1,134 college students, 85 were selected who were in their first year of college and had reported having previously experienced bullying. After classifying the participants acording to their the 33rd and 66th percentile scores on post-traumatic growth, a univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated significant differences between the low and high groups, with those highest in PTG showing the highest scores on drive approach, focus on promotion, and resilient coping. Conditional process analysis with these significant variables revealed that regulatory focus on promotion mediates between resilient coping and post-traumatic growth, whereas drive moderates the link between both variables. The findings shed light on the motivational mechanisms underlying PTG, which may be useful to guide interventions to prevent the consequences of bullying.

Self-Control, Risky Lifestyles, and Victimization among Chinese Adolescents

Violent and property victimization among Chinese adolescents remains a social problem, yet studies that incorporate individual characteristics and situational/contextual factors to explain such victimization remain scarce. Drawing upon survey data collected from a large, representative sample of middle school students from two areas in Guizhou Province, China, we test Schreck's integrated model of victimization, finding that self-control has both direct and indirect influences on violent and property victimization among Chinese adolescents. Delinquent peers play the most significant intermediate role in connecting self-control and adolescent victimization. Results reconfirm the importance of both self-control and risky lifestyles/situations in shaping victimization, and identify a victimization pathway that accentuates the key linking mechanism of delinquent peers in the self-control-victimization nexus.

Chains of tragedy: The impact of bullying victimization on mental health through mediating role of aggressive behavior and perceived social support

OBJECTIVE

Bullying is a worldwide concern for its devastating consequences. The current study focused on bullying victims, examining the effects of being bullied on mental health and the chain of mediating mechanisms among adolescents. Specifically, this study attempts to explain the relationship between bullying victimization and mental health from the perspective of maladaptive behavior and perceived social support.

METHODS

A total of 3,635 adolescents responded to questions on bullying victimization, aggressive behavior, perceived social support, and mental health measurements including anxiety, depression, and subjective well being scale combined.

RESULTS

(1) Bullying victimization was significantly correlated with aggressive behavior, perceived social support, and mental health, including anxiety, depression, and subjective well being. (2) Bullying victimization not only negatively predicts mental health levels but also has an indirect impact on mental health through three pathways: a separate mediating effect on aggressive behavior, a separate mediating effect on perceived social support, and a chain mediating effect on both.

CONCLUSION

The present results demonstrate that maladaptive behavior by bullying victims can lead to changes in their perceived social support and mental health problems. Violence begets violence and provides no constructive solutions, instead, produces a tragic chain of victimization. Further implications are discussed accordingly.

The Relationship between Personal Variables and Perceived Appropriateness of Coping Strategies against Cybervictimisation among Pre-Service Teachers

Cyberbullying behaviours begin at primary school, so the actions taken by pre-teachers will play a key role in achieving the goals in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. More specifically, active coping strategies are essential in reducing victimisation. The aim of this study was to identify the coping strategies considered effective by pre-service teachers and to analyse the perceived appropriateness of active and passive strategies in relation to personal variables. The participants were 1122 students on the Bachelor’s Degree in Education at the University of Castile-La Mancha in Spain. The study measured the perceived appropriateness of five active coping strategies and four passive coping strategies, moral disengagement, experiences of bullying and cyberbullying, emotions in response to bullying and gender stereotypes. The results show that more than 25% of pre-service teachers are not prepared to manage cyberbullying effectively. Prior experiences of victimisation, personal masculinity in men and moral emotions in women are related to active strategies, while moral disengagement, and pleasant emotions in women, are related to passive strategies. Universities must implement initiatives to ensure that pre-service teachers receive training on effective coping strategies and reflect on the personal factors influencing their decisions.

Relationship between school bullying and mental health status of adolescent students in China: A nationwide cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

School bullying, as a public health problem, has been linked to many emotional disorders. However, the overall status of school bullying among adolescent students in China is unknown. This nationwide study aimed to investigate school bullying in China and evaluate the relationships between school bullying and mental health status.

METHODS

A total of 15, 415 middle and high school students were enrolled in this study through multistage stratified cluster random sampling. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to examine the association between school bullying and mental health status and the analysis was stratified by gender.

RESULTS

Students were divided into four groups: 2.72%, bully/victims; 1.38%, bullies; 10.89%, victims; 85.01%, uninvolved. Compared with uninvolved students, students with anxiety symptoms, non-suicidal self-injury and suicide ideation had a higher risk of being involved in school bullying and were more likely to be bully/victims, bullies, and victims. Stratified analysis indicated that boys with anxiety symptoms and non-suicidal self-injury risks tended to be bullies, victims and bully/victims. However, for girls, bullying others or being bullied was related to anxiety symptoms and suicide ideation.

CONCLUSION

Our study indicated that school bullying is still a health problem in the adolescent students of China, and is related to many mental health problems. Intervention programs are in urgent need to help the students involved in school bullying, both in terms of their mental and physical health.

Network analysis of the relationship between negative life events and depressive symptoms in the left-behind children

BACKGROUND

There are 68.77 million left-behind children in China, who are at a great risk of depression associated with negative life events. Our study aims to investigate the most central symptoms of depression in left-behind children and the relationship between depressive symptoms and negative life events using network analysis.

METHOD

A cross-sectional data set (N = 7255) was used, which included children and adolescents aged 7 to 17. Network analysis was used to evaluate: 1) the most central symptoms among the items included in Child Depression Inventory (CDI) of the left-behind children; 2) bridge symptoms between depressive disorder and Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Check List (ASLEC) of the left-behind children; 3) differences in networks of depressive disorders between left-behind and non-left-behind children, and 4) differences in the network of depression and negative life events between left-behind and non-left-behind children. The stability and centrality indices of the network were also evaluated in the study.

RESULTS

The most central symptoms in the CDI among the left-behind children included self-hatred, crying, fatigue, and sadness. The items with the highest bridge strength centrality in the CDI-ASLEC network included academic stress, discrimination, and school performance decrement. Higher bridge strength values indicate a greater risk of contagion to other communities. The connections in the CDI-ASLEC network are denser in the left-behind children than in non-left-behind children.

LIMITATIONS

The study which was conducted based on cross-sectional data shows that network analysis can only make undirected estimation, but not causal inferences.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified the core symptoms of depression and the bridge symptoms between negative life events and depression in the left-behind children. These findings suggest that more attention should be paid to self-hatred, sadness, and fatigue in the treatment of depression in left-behind children. Intervention for academic stress and discrimination of the left-behind children may help to reduce the contagion of negative life events to depression symptoms.