Examining the Mediational Linkage Between Adolescent Peer Victimization, Emotion Regulation, and Mental Health

Understanding the factors associated with peer victimization is crucial for prevention and intervention efforts in support youth well-being. This study aims to explore the plausible mechanisms behind the correlations among peer victimization, emotion regulation, and mental health in adolescents in school settings. Data were from self-report surveys completed by a diverse sample of high school students (N = 392, aged 14–18; 56.6% female and 41.2% male). Based on theories (the Victim Schema Model, Rosen et al.; and the Extended Process Model of Emotion Regulation, Gross 2015) and relevant empirical research, we examined two competing mediating models, both with peer victimization as the predictor. In Model 1, emotion regulation (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) and mental health (internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and life satisfaction) functioned as the mediator and the outcome, respectively. In Model 2, mental health variables are mediators and emotion regulation variables are outcomes. Results supported Model 2 but not Model 1. Within Model 2, specifically, the negative relation between peer victimization and cognitive reappraisal was mediated by life satisfaction and externalizing problems; while the positive association between peer victimization and expressive suppression was mediated by internalizing problems. Thus, mental health variables showed differential mediating effects for each emotion regulation strategy in the context of experiences of peer victimization. Future directions and implications are discussed.