Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Order to Reduce Suicidal Ideation in Adolescents’ Bullying Victims: A Mediation and Moderation Model

ABSTRACT The objective of this study has been to analyze the impact of emotional intelligence (EI), interpersonal difficulties and life satisfaction in the relationship between victimization and suicidal ideation. For this purpose, a total of 898 adolescents responded to the Peer School Victimization Scale, Wong-Law Emotional Intelligence Scale and Suicide Risk Inventory for Adolescents. Results from the mediation analysis revealed how EI, interpersonal difficulties and life satisfaction mediated the relationship between bullying victimization and suicidal ideation. Moreover, the moderation analyses revealed that the association between EI and suicidal ideation was moderated by gender and by age. Finally, from the moderated moderation analyses, it was observed how in cases of relational victimization, EI helped to reduce suicidal ideation to a greater degree in students that had never retaken a course than in students with this feature.