The relationship between bullying victimization experience and post-traumatic stress symptoms in college students: the mediating role of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and the moderating role of hope.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the relationship between bullying victimization and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs) in college students with bullying victimization experience, the mediating role of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and the moderating role of hope.

METHODS

A total of 1695 college students were tested using the Delaware Bullying Victimization Scale, the Maladaptive Strategy subscale of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, the Hope Scale, and the PTSD Symptom Checklist.

RESULTS

The results found that bullying victimization had a significant positive predictive effect on PTSSs, and that maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies significantly mediated the relationship between bullying victimization and PTSSs. Hope significantly moderated the indirect effect of bullying victimization on PTSSs through maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicate that bullying victimization experience is a risk factor for PTSSs, and that maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies mediated the relationship between bullying victimization and PTSSs. Hope serves as a protective factor, the protective role of hope proved to prevent PTSSs in college students who have been victims of bullying; however, it was also be associated with a stronger association between bullying victimization and the use of these maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies. Intervention programs that reduce reliance on maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and cultiviate hope could assist in mitigating the impact of bullying victimization on PTSSs.