Is Spiritual Well-Being Among Adolescents Associated with a Lower Level of Bullying Behaviour? The Mediating Effect of Perceived Bullying Behaviour of Peers

The aim of this study was to explore the association between spiritual well-being and bullying among Slovak adolescents, and whether perceived bullying behaviour of peers mediated this relationship. Data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study conducted in 2014 in Slovakia were used. Data were obtained from 9250 adolescents with a mean age of 13.48 years. The final sample consisted of 762 adolescents aged 15 years old (52.2% boys). We used logistic regression models and the Sobel test. Adolescents who reported a higher level of spiritual well-being were at lower risk of reporting that some or more schoolmates bully others or that they themselves bully others. These relationships were partially mediated by perceived norms about the bullying behaviour of schoolmates. Spiritual well-being was found to be negatively associated with bullying; in addition, a mediating role of perceived bullying behaviour of peers in this relationship was confirmed.

Adolescents who reported a higher level of spiritual well-being were at lower risk to bully others, crude and also adjusted for gender. These adolescents reported a lower level of perceived bullying behaviour by others. "The results of logistic regression show that the association between spiritual well-being and bullying remained significant after inclusion of a potential mediator into the model. Odd ratios for the main relationship decreased by 20% after inclusion of perceived bullying behaviour of peers." (Dutkova, et al, 2017, 2216.) In the study was confirmed a mediating role of perceived bullying behaviour of peers in the relationship between spiritual well-being and bullying.