Kicking Back Against Bullying: Social Media, Psychological Distress, and the Moderating Role of Kempo Training among Romanian Adolescents

AbstractWhile prior studies have widely explored the relations between bullying experiences, distress, and social media use, limited research has examined the potential protective role of Kempo, a traditional martial art. Thus, the present study aimed to examine the relations between the time spent on social media, bullying experiences, and psychological distress among youth. A sample of 254 Romanian adolescents aged 11 to 17, including 188 Kempo practitioners and 66 non-practicing peers, participated in this study. We aimed to determine whether adolescents who practice Kempo differ from their peers regarding bullying victimization, distress, and active bystander bullying involvement, and whether Kempo practice moderates the link between bullying and psychological outcomes, i.e., distress. Results indicated that both offline and online bullying victimization were positively associated with psychological distress. Adolescents in the Kempo group reported significantly lower levels of offline victimization and psychological distress compared to their non-practicing peers. However, they were also less likely to engage in active defending behavior. Contrary to expectations, Kempo practice did not buffer the impact of victimization; instead, the link between offline bullying and distress was stronger among Kempo practitioners. The moderating effect was not significant for online bullying. These findings suggest that while Kempo practice may support general wellbeing, it does not necessarily protect against the emotional effects of bullying victimization. Keywords: adolescents; martial arts; kempo; distress; social media.