When and How Does School Climate Reduce the Adverse Effects of Bullying Victimization? The Role of Covitality

This study investigated the interplay between school climate, covitality, and bullying victimization among secondary school students in Uzbekistan, with a specific focus on the potential mediating role of covitality. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, with data collected from 508 students (aged 10–18; 50.2% female) across three schools in Bukhara between September and December 2024. Validated questionnaires measured school climate, bullying victimization, and covitality. Structural equation modelling SEM (SPSS AMOS) revealed that school climate was a significant negative predictor of bullying victimization (β = -0.132, *p* < .05), supporting our first hypothesis. School climate also showed a strong positive association with covitality (β = 0.557, *p* < .001). However, contrary to our hypotheses, covitality did not significantly relate to victimization (β = 0.033, *p* = n.s.), and the indirect mediation effect was non-significant (B = -0.010, 95% CI [-0.050, 0.033]). The study received ethical approval, and informed consent/assent was obtained. The findings underscore the critical role of a positive school climate in reducing bullying but indicate that covitality does not act as a mediating mechanism in this relationship within the studied context, highlighting the need for direct, multi-level interventions.