Developmental pathway from child maltreatment to children’s bullying: sex difference in the longitudinal dual-process model of self-esteem and depression
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background Bullying is potentially linked to childhood maltreatment, yet distinctions among maltreatment types and their underlying mechanisms remain under-examined. Objective This study tested whether emotional and physical maltreatment predict children’s bullying perpetration through self-esteem and depressive symptoms, and whether these indirect pathways differ by gender. Method In a three-wave longitudinal design spanning approximately 12 months, data were collected at baseline (T1, mid-December, n = 780), 6-month follow-up (T2, mid-June, n = 774), and 12-month follow-up (T3, mid-December, n = 706). Mediation models examined self-esteem and depression as parallel mediators between emotional/physical maltreatment (T1) and bullying (T3). Multi-group analyses and Wald tests compared path coefficients and indirect effects across boys and girls. Results Longitudinal mediation revealed that the indirect effect of T1 emotional maltreatment on T3 bullying via T2 self-esteem (full mediation, β boys = 0.017, SE boys = 0.008, 95% CI [0.002, 0.032]) and the indirect effect of T1 physical maltreatment on T3 bullying via T2 depression (partial mediation, β boys = 0.029, SE boys = 0.013, 95% CI [0.005, 0.053]) were significant only among boys. Conclusion The finding that distinct maltreatment types are linked to bullying through different, gender-specific psychological pathways highlights the need for tailored prevention strategies that account for both maltreatment type and gender.
Source: Frontiers in Psychology
Authors: Xiangfei Duan, Xianglan Zhang, Yanxin Song
Institutions: Ludong University, Myongji University
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W4415982846