School climate and bullying victimization among adolescents: A moderated mediation model

Abstract The present study constructed a moderated mediation model to investigate whether self-esteem mediated the relationships between school climate and bullying victimization and whether psychological suzhi and gender moderated the mediation of self-esteem. Psychological suzhi is first proposed by Chinese scholars, which refers to a mental quality characterized by being steady, essential, and implicit and it is thought to have foundational, derivative, and developmental functions that influence individuals’ adjustment, development, and creative behavior. The participants were 3,645 students (Mage= 14.01 years, SD = 1.19) from 5 urban public secondary schools in Southwest China. The results indicated that school climate was negatively associated with bullying victimization and that self-esteem mediated the relationship between them. Furthermore, psychological suzhi moderated the first link of the mediational chain and the direct relationship between school climate and bullying victimization. More specifically, psychological suzhi increases the association between school climate and self-esteem and reduces the link between school climate and bullying victimization. The results further showed a gender difference in the association between self-esteem and bullying victimization. The negative effect of self-esteem on bullying victimization was larger among boys than girls. The findings provide implications for school decision makers and school professionals regarding the importance of fostering a positive school climate and improving psychological suzhi to prevent school bullying and promote positive development among Chinese adolescents.