Bullying Victimization, School Belonging, Academic Engagement and Achievement in Adolescents in Rural China: A Serial Mediation Model

Abstract This study aims to understand how bullying victimization impacts on adolescents' academic achievement through the serial mediation of school belonging and academic engagement in rural China. Altogether 813 rural adolescents in southwestern China (359 boys, 454 girls, M age = 15 years, SD = 0.00) completed the Multidimensional Peer Victimization Scale-Revised (MPVS-R), Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM) scale, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student, and the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests. The results indicated that: (1) boys reported significantly higher bullying victimization and lower school belonging and academic engagement than girls; (2) school belonging and academic engagement were identified the serial mediators between bullying victimization and academic achievement in the models for the whole sample and boys group; (3) the mediation model for girls group differed from that for boys, as academic engagement did not predict academic achievement in girls. The findings highlight the importance of fostering a positive school climate to fight against negative consequences associated with bullying victimization.