Objective:

To examine the association between school bullying and social-emotional skills, with a specific focus on cooperation ability and its contextual expression in the school environment.

Key Findings:

• 50.8% of adolescents experienced bullying, highlighting the prevalence of the issue.
• Cooperation Ability showed the highest predictive importance among social-emotional dimensions, indicating its critical role.
• XGBoost was the most effective model for predicting Cooperation Atmosphere, with specific performance metrics.
• Top predictors included school belonging, competitive climate, and peer support, which are essential for understanding the context.
• Gender-specific analysis revealed different predictive patterns for males and females, suggesting tailored interventions.

Interpretation:

The study suggests that school bullying is closely associated with poorer cooperation-related functioning and identifies key modifiable factors for targeted interventions.

Limitations:

• The study is based on cross-sectional data, limiting causal inferences and the ability to establish temporal relationships.
• Findings may not be generalizable beyond the specific demographic of Chinese adolescents, which could affect the applicability of results.

Conclusion:

The findings provide evidence for educators and policymakers to develop gender-specific strategies for improving school climate and reducing bullying, while also suggesting areas for future research.