Bully victimization and emotional problems in adolescents:moderation by specific cognitive coping strategies?

Objective: Relationships between bully victimization and symptoms of depression/anxiety were examined. In addition, it was studied whether this relationship was moderated by specific cognitive coping strategies.

Methods: Participants were 582 secondary school students who filled out online self-report questionnaires on bully victimization, cognitive coping, and depression/anxiety. (Moderated) Multiple Regression analysis was performed.

Results: Strong relationships were found between bully victimization and symptoms of depression and anxiety. On top of that, two cognitive coping strategies moderated the relationship between bullying and depression, i.e. rumination (strengthening) and positive refocusing (reducing). Cognitive coping strategies that moderated the effect of bullying on anxiety symptoms were rumination, catastrophizing (strengthening) and positive reappraisal (reducing).

Conclusions: The results provide possible targets for intervention: when helping adolescents who have been bullied, maladaptive cognitive coping strategies could be assessed and challenged, while more adaptive strategies could be acquired.