Beyond the Classroom: How School Bullying and Societal Well‐Being Shape Adolescent Life Satisfaction Across OECD Countries

Introduction Adolescents' life satisfaction is shaped by both proximal school experiences and broader societal environments. School bullying poses a substantial threat to youths' well‐being while positive student–teacher relationships may serve as a critical source of protection. This study examines how school bullying, student–teacher relationships and country‐level social environments jointly influence life satisfaction among 15‐year‐olds across 30 OECD countries. Methods Using the PISA 2022 data ( N = 216,460), this study applies two complementary approaches (linear regression models and multilevel modeling) to (1) compare the associations of social relationships and environments with adolescents' life satisfaction across the GLOBE cultural clusters and (2) investigate whether life satisfaction differs by a national indicator of societal well‐being. Cross‐level interactions further tested whether the national indicator of societal well‐being moderates the link between school bullying and life satisfaction. Results Being bullied at school was consistently associated with significantly lower life satisfaction across OECD contexts, with the strongest negative associations observed in Arab and Anglo clusters. Positive student–teacher relationships were linked to higher life satisfaction and buffered the detrimental effects of bullying. Multilevel analyses also showed that the negative impact of bullying was intensified in countries with weaker societal well‐being. Conclusions Findings emphasize the need for ecological and culturally responsive interventions that enhance emotional support in schools and strengthen societal well‐being. Addressing bullying and fostering socio‐emotional competencies are central to advancing global education and health priorities under the Sustainable Development Goals.