Examining negative emotions as mediators between exposures to family violence and bullying: A gendered perspective

As concerns about bullying in schools continue to grow worldwide, the topic has become a major focus of research. However, few studies have used a general strain theory framework to examine whether the exposure to family violence is associated with bullying perpetration. Using structural equation modeling, this study explores whether negative emotions serve as important mediators between the exposure to family violence and bullying perpetration and whether these effects are gendered. The results found mixed support for GST—more specifically, the analyses indicated that exposure to family violence increased bullying perpetration through anger. However, although exposure to family violence was strongly associated with depression, depression did not influence bullying perpetration and was not a mediator between the exposure to family violence and bullying perpetration. Further, this study found initial support that these effects are gendered.