Mediators of Bullying Victimization and Substance Use Among US High School Students

Research has shown a connection between bullying victimization and substance use, but the underlying mechanisms of these links remain unclear. Using data from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System of 9th–12th grade students (n = 16,410), we employed a generalized structural equation modeling approach to investigate the relationships between bullying, cyberbullying, sex, and the use of e-cigarettes, alcohol, and binge drinking. We considered sadness or hopelessness, aggression, mental health issues, and skipping school as potential mediators. Our results revealed a consistent relationship between both cyberbullying and traditional bullying with the use of e-cigarettes, alcohol, and binge drinking. This relationship was mediated by sadness, hopelessness, and aggression. Interestingly, we found that males were more likely than females to use e-cigarettes, alcohol, and engage in binge drinking, with aggression as the mediator. Conversely, females were more likely than males to use these substances, with sadness or hopelessness as a mediator.