Social support and mental health outcomes in palestinian children victims of bullying and cyberbullying during the covid-19 pandemic: an exploratory investigation.

Abstract

Background: Studies have shown that COVID-19 negatively impacted mental health by increasing depression and anxiety. Additionally, bullying might deteriorate children's psychological functioning. Nevertheless, social support has been studied as a positive buffer for mental well-being.

Objectives: Thus, our study aimed to examine the consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak on children's mental health when they are a victim of bullying and cyberbullying. Moreover, we tested the effect of social support as a mediating variable. A sample of 141 children (63 boys and 78 girls) 9 to 13 years old (M = 10.31, SD = 2.26) who reported having experienced bullying participated in the research. All were Palestinians living in Israel, attending primary schools.

Methods: Data was collected using the following measures, the Multidimensional Bullying Victimization Scale (MBVS), the Adolescents Cyber-Victimization Scale (CYBVICS), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), a questionnaire measuring the effect of COVID-19 on mental health outcomes, the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Structural equation modelling was applied to test the association between variables and mediating effects.

Findings: A positive correlation between Fear of COVID-19 and traditional bullying, cyberbullying, depression, and anxiety were found. Moreover, social support was negatively correlated with traditional forms of bullying and cyberbullying. Also, statistically significant differences between traditional bullying, cyberbullying, depression, and parents' difficulties emerged from parental marital status.

Conclusions: findings might help victims of bullying by training teachers and guiding parents to construct intervention plans to empower the social networks of children victims.