Association between Child Abuse, Depression, and School Bullying among Chinese Secondary School Students

Abstract

Introduction: School bullying is a serious social and public health problem. This article aims to explore the association between experiences of childhood abuse and involvement in school bullying, especially considering the mediating effects of depression. Methods: The sample of this study was 3059 students (1584 males and 1475 females) aged from 12 to 20, in eleven Chinese secondary schools, which included six middle schools, four high schools, and one vocational high school in both urban and rural areas. The multinomial logit regression and linear regression were conducted by the two gender groups, to determine the mediating effect of depression in the association between child abuse experiences and involvement in school bullying. Results: This study indicated that female students were less likely to be involved in school bullying. Male students were more represented in the bully-victim group and experienced more physical and mental abuse during childhood. Depression was a mediator between childhood abuse and involvement in school bullying. Nevertheless, there was a gender difference in that depression fully mediated the relationship between the two variables among female students, while it only partially meditated such a relationship for male students. Conclusions: These findings indicate that more school-based service interventions and evidence-based research are needed to more thoroughly investigate school bullying and its predictors in China.

Unveiling a novel clinical risk assessment model for identifying non-suicidal self-injury risks in depressed Chinese adolescents amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: insights from low self-esteem, internet use, and sleep disturbance

“…Low self-esteem is a clinical manifestation of depression, and higher levels of low self-esteem tend to mean higher levels of depression (29). As a risk factor for NSSI, depressive disorders also play a role in the development of NSSI (30,31). Adolescents with depression are more likely to encounter challenging situations at home or in an educational setting that they cannot resolve and get stuck in.…”

Exploring Elements Linked to School Bullying in China: A Comprehensive Review

“…The authors argue that children subjected to physical or emotional abuse in their homes or elsewhere tend to exhibit submissive traits rather than retaliatory behaviors, rendering them more susceptible to bullying in a school environment. Abused youths are more likely to engage in aggressive conduct and bully others [4]. Further research also has proven that only abuse is substantially related to bullying victimization across all forms of child maltreatment and school bullying behaviors [5].…”

“…Moreover, male students in middle and high schools exhibited a higher propensity for overtly physical forms of aggression, while female students were more inclined to encounter non-physical forms of bullying, specifically verbal harassment [3]. Female students tend to be more prevalent in the pure bully category, while male students are more likely to assume the roles as both aggressors and targets [4].…”

“…Many studies have indicated that gender is an important factor. It is suggested that male students are more prone to engage in school bullying in comparison to their female counterparts [1,3,4,6,7]. Moreover, male students in middle and high schools exhibited a higher propensity for overtly physical forms of aggression, while female students were more inclined to encounter non-physical forms of bullying, specifically verbal harassment [3].…”