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

Abstract

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.