Social Support and Bullying Victimization: A Moderated Chain Mediation Model

Social support is an established protective factor against bullying victimization. Despite its importance, it remains limited exploration of how social support reduces bullying victimization among adolescents and the conditions under which such effects may be moderated. This study aimed to examine the mediating roles of coping efficacy and coping style in the relationship between social support and bullying victimization, and the moderating role of help-seeking willingness. A total of 992 adolescents in China completed a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. The results showed that: (1) social support, coping efficacy, coping style and help-seeking willingness were significantly correlated with bullying victimization; (2) social support indirectly predicted adolescent bullying victimization through the mediation of coping efficacy and coping style; and (3) help-seeking willingness moderated the associations of social support, coping efficacy, and coping strategies with bullying victimization. These findings demonstrate that social support serves as a significant protective factor that can reduce bullying victimization by enhancing adolescents' coping efficacy and improving negative coping styles. Moreover, help-seeking willingness may buffer against the risk of bullying victimization associated with low levels of social support, coping efficacy, and adaptive coping styles.