Impact of having been bullied in elementary, junior high, and high school on university students' self-esteem and well-being

Abstract

The experience of being bullied is said to have longterm effects on the victims mental and physical state. Previous studies have indicated that the experience of being bullied in childhood influences self-esteem, trait anxiety, depression, and loneliness later. The present research examined influences of the experience of having been bullied in elementary and secondary school on the well-being of university students. The participants (TV = 208, 76% of whom were in their freshman year) rated their experiences of having been bullied in elementary, junior high, and high school; reported the frequency of having been bullied during each term; and completed instruments that included scales measuring present self-esteem, subjective happiness, trait anger, and trait anxiety. Influences of the experience of having been bullied on the students' present well-being were then evaluated. Mediation effects of self-esteem on well-being were also examined. The students reported a distinctly higher frequency of having been bullied in elementary and junior high school, compared to when they were in high school. The results of a path analysis showed that the experience of being bullied in junior high and high school directly influenced the university students' well-being. The results also suggested that the experience of being bullied in elementary school had indirect effects on the university students' well-being, which was mediated by self-esteem. The results of the present study support prior research in showing that bullying has longterm effects on well-being in later years.