Mindfulness as a mediator of the relationship between childhood maltreatment and school bullying involvement

Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a major public health concern that substantially raises the risk of adolescent school bullying. While mindfulness alleviates trauma-related distress by enhancing emotional regulation, its mediating effect on the link between maltreatment and bullying remains poorly understood. This cross-sectional study recruited 27,530 adolescents aged 10–17 years. Multilevel logistic regression and structural equation modeling were applied. After adjusting for covariates, CM was linked to elevated odds of school bullying (OR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.66–1.99). Higher mindfulness levels were associated with lower risk (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.92–0.95). Mindfulness mediated 33.11% of the total association. Its mediation was strongest for bullies (42.41%), followed by victims (32.91%) and bully-victims (29.78%). Emotional maltreatment was the primary subtype driving this pathway, with stronger mediation observed among girls, ethnic minorities, and adolescents aged 13–17. Our findings suggest that mindfulness is a potential intervention target for protecting trauma-affected adolescents from bullying.