Coping strategy, Well-being, and bullying perpetration in primary schools: a longitudinal mediation model

Ample evidence shows that school bullying remains a major social problem worldwide which brings negative physical and psychological outcomes for both bullies and victims. Although poor well-being has been considered a risk factor that reinforces aggressive and bullying behaviors among youth, limited research has focused on investigating how well-being influences bullying perpetration and how coping strategies mediate the relationship between the two remains unknown. Guided by the general strain theory and empirical findings, this study collected data from 920 primary school students (57.6% male; Mage = 10.88; SD = 1.25) through a two-wave longitudinal survey and identified significant relationships between well-being and bullying perpetration. The results showed that mental distress (beta = 0.174; p < .001) and self-esteem (beta = 0.136; p < .010) were positively associated with bullying perpetration, with the relationships partially mediated by the approach coping strategy, while the significant relationships between social support (beta = -0.047; p < .001) and attitudes toward delinquency (beta = -0.082; p < .001) and bullying perpetration were completely mediated by the approach coping strategy. Avoidance coping strategy showed no significant mediating effect in the association between well-being and bullying perpetration. Results have important implications for theory, practice, and future intervention.