<p>Bullying is a pervasive public health concern, with a well-established association between victimization and perpetration. However, protective factors associated with this concurrent involvement remain less understood, particularly in non-Western contexts. Social competence and emotional competence are two distinct yet related factors that may moderate this association, though evidence is limited. Moreover, few studies have examined gender differences in the co-occurrence of bullying roles and its protective factors. To address these gaps, this study aimed to examine the association between bullying victimization and perpetration among Chinese youth and the moderating roles of social and emotional competencies, with a focus on potential gender differences. Data were drawn from Wave 2 of the OECD Survey on Social and Emotional Skills, comprising 6,737 school-aged youth from China (<i>M</i>age = 13.16 years, <i>SD</i> = 2.49). Moderated regression analysis was conducted for the entire sample as well as for gender-specific subsamples. Results indicated that bullying victimization was positively associated with bullying perpetration for both boys and girls, while the association was stronger among boys. Importantly, social competence and emotional competence demonstrated significant gender-specific moderating effects. Among boys, emotional competence weakened the association between bullying victimization and perpetration, whereas among girls, social competence functioned as a protective factor. These findings underscore the importance of promoting social and emotional competencies for youth involved in multiple bullying roles, while integrating gender-specific perspectives. Interventions targeting emotional competence in boys and social competence in girls may be effective in reducing the likelihood of concurrent involvement in bullying victimization and perpetration.</p>