Meaning in life as a moderator of the relationship between bullying victimization profiles and life satisfaction in young adolescents

Abstract

Latent profiles of bullying victimization were examined to determine membership information and distinctive buffering roles of meaning in life between bullying victimization groups and life satisfaction. The PISA data set (n = 4695) of 15‐year‐old young adolescents was analyzed. Static predictors of membership consist of gender, immigrant status, parental education, and grade repetition. Latent profile analysis, analysis of variance, multiple logistic regression, and multivariable regression were utilized for a comprehensive understanding of bullying victimization memberships and related outcomes. Three distinctive latent profiles emerged: (a) Stable & Resilient (SR) (75.6%); (b) Mild & Internal (MI) (18.4%); and (c) Severe & External (SE) (6.0%). Immigration, gender, grade repetition, and parental education were found to be predictors of membership in the bullying victimization groups. Males, and immigrants, with higher parental education, and grade repetition experience significantly predicted increases in possibilities of membership in the MI or SE latent groups. Meaning in life has significant buffering roles for bullying victimization on life satisfaction. The moderating effect of meaning in life was strongest for the SE group. Implications and future directions are discussed.