Moderated Mediation Analysis of School Connectedness, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Bullying: Developmental Implications for Constructing Resilient Spaces

ABSTRACT Postpandemic bullying increases raise concerns about youth well‐being. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are known risk factors for bullying victimization, but school connectedness might protect against victimization. This study examined whether school connectedness mediates ACEs’ effect on bullying victimization and whether age influences this mediation. Data were taken from the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey, an online survey of public‐school students statewide. The sample included 125,375 students in 8th, 9th, and 11th grades. Structural equation modeling tested a moderated mediation model, with ACEs as an observed variable and school connectedness and bullying victimization as latent variables. Results show a small but statistically significant partial mediation effect ( β = 0.07), accounting for about 17% of ACEs’ total effect on bullying, especially in younger students. This underscores the importance of supportive school environments that promote connection and belonging. Improving school connectedness could help vulnerable students and reduce bullying victimization after early adversity.