Associative pathways of school bullying with adolescent internet addiction and the moderating role of emotional resilience
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By
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Xinyi Pang
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Xinfeng Zhang
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Chengguo Peng
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Zheming Tu
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June 9, 2026
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0 min
Clinical Report: Exploring the Links Between School Bullying and Internet Addiction
Overview
This study investigates the relationship between school bullying and internet addiction among adolescents, highlighting the role of emotional resilience. Findings indicate significant correlations between bullying, anxiety, depression, and internet addiction.
Background
School bullying is a prevalent issue affecting adolescents, with significant implications for mental health. The association between bullying and negative psychological outcomes, such as anxiety and depression, is noted.
Data Highlights
| Variable | Correlation |
|---|---|
| School Bullying | Positive correlation with Internet Addiction |
| Anxiety | Serial pathway: School Bullying → Anxiety → Depression → Internet Addiction |
| Emotional Resilience | Higher resilience linked to lower anxiety and depression |
Key Findings
- Significant positive correlation between school bullying and adolescent internet addiction.
- Identified serial pathway: School Bullying → Anxiety → Depression → Internet Addiction.
- Two independent pathways: School Bullying → Anxiety → Internet Addiction and School Bullying → Depression → Internet Addiction.
- Emotional resilience moderates the relationship between bullying and internet addiction.
- Higher emotional resilience is associated with lower levels of anxiety and depression.
Clinical Implications
Understanding the pathways linking school bullying to internet addiction can guide targeted interventions. Enhancing emotional resilience in adolescents may reduce the risk of developing internet addiction following experiences of bullying.
Conclusion
The study elucidates the relationships between school bullying, emotional resilience, and internet addiction.
Related Resources & Content
- BMC Psychiatry (Springer), 2025 -- The effect of bullying victimization trajectory on internet gaming disorder and the mediating role of impaired resilience
- Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2026 -- Aggression and emotional distress in adolescents: a cross-sectional chain mediation model of internet addiction and somatization
- BMC Psychiatry (Springer), 2025 -- The association between positive school climate and school identification and probable depression among Chinese adolescents
- Bullying | Youth Violence Prevention | CDC, 2024
- Frontiers in Psychiatry — A systematic review of internet addiction in hospitalized adolescents: proposing a hospital-adapted moderated dual mediation model of emotional dysregulation and social compensation
- One in six school-aged children experiences cyberbullying, finds new WHO/Europe study
- Gaming disorder - WHO
- Bullying | Youth Violence Prevention | CDC
- Resources | Youth Violence Prevention | CDC
- Clinical descriptions and diagnostic requirements for ICD-11 mental, behavioural and neurodevelopmental disorders (CDDR)
- Psychiatry.org - Internet Gaming
- The nature and characteristics of problem gaming, with a focus on ICD-11 diagnoses - PubMed
- Peer Victimization and Problematic Internet Use Among Adolescents: A Three-Level Meta-Analytic Review - Jun Li, Wenqing Li, Xiaoyu Li, Yinqiu Zhao, Chi Yang, 2025
- The association between school bullying and internet addiction among adolescents: a moderated mediation model
- The chain mediating effect of anxiety and inhibitory control between bullying victimization and internet addiction in adolescents | Scientific Reports
- Associations of vegetable and fruit intake, physical activity, and school bullying with depressive symptoms in secondary school students: the mediating role of internet addiction | BMC Psychiatry | Springer Nature Link
- Association between problematic social networking use and anxiety symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis | BMC Psychology | Springer Nature Link
- The Association Between Internet Addiction and Adolescents’ Mental Health: A Meta-Analytic Review
- The association between anxiety and internet addiction among left-behind secondary school students: the moderating effect of social support and family types | BMC Psychiatry | Springer Nature Link
- A web-enabled, school-based intervention for bullying prevention (LINKlusive): a cluster randomised trial - ScienceDirect
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- Effects of non-pharmacological interventions on youth with internet addiction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - PMC
- JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting - Videoconference-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Parents of Adolescents With Internet Addiction: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
- The effect of motivational interviewing on internet addiction and digital game addiction in adolescents: a randomized controlled trial | European Journal of Pediatrics | Springer Nature Link
- Community Violence Prevention: Resource for Action
This content is an AI-generated, fully rewritten summary based on a published scholarly article. It does not reproduce the original text and is not a substitute for the original publication. Readers are encouraged to consult the source for full context, data, and methodology.
