Positive reappraisal moderates depressive symptomology among adolescent bullying victims

Objective
Recent research has identified three distinct types of bullying‐victimisation; overt, reputational, and relational. While bullying‐victimisation as a single construct is known to be associated with depression among adolescents, this relationship is unclear when applied to distinct types. The aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between overt, reputational, and relational types of bullying‐victimisation and depressive symptomology among adolescents. Further, the cognitive coping strategy “positive reappraisal” is explored as a moderating factor in these relationships.
Method
Data were collected through online surveys completed by 338 adolescents aged 12–18 years. Data were analysed through multiple regression and moderation analysis.
Results
It was found that bullying as a single construct predicted levels of depression. As unique constructs, reputational and relational bullying‐victimisation were demonstrated to be associated with depression symptomology while overt bullying‐victimisation was not. Positive reappraisal was found to moderate the relationships between reputational and relational bullying‐victimisation and depression, but not between overt bullying‐victimisation and depression.
Conclusion
This study highlights the importance of considering subtypes of bullying‐victimisation in future research regarding adolescent's mental health. That positive reappraisal was found to be helpful in reducing depressive symptomology among adolescent bullying victims suggests investigation of other cognitive coping strategies is warranted.