Bullying, Mental Health, and Academic Performance: Changing Dynamics between 2018 and 2022

Bullying, Mental Health, and Academic Performance: Changing Dynamics between 2018 and 2022 | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Bullying, Mental Health, and Academic Performance: Changing Dynamics between 2018 and 2022 Gisela Rusteholz, Mauro Mediavilla This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8147859/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study examines the direct and indirect effects of school bullying on students’ academic performance, considering the mediating role of mental health and the moderating influence of parental and teacher support. Using data from Spanish students participating in PISA 2018 and PISA 2022, structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to analyse the relationships among latent constructs and observed outcomes in mathematics, science, and reading. The results confirm that the overall impact of bullying on academic achievement remains negative, but its mechanism of influence has changed substantially. While in 2018 the association was mainly direct and behavioural, by 2022 it became predominantly indirect, operating through students’ mental health. This indicates that the emotional consequences of bullying have gained greater relevance in explaining performance outcomes. Both parental and teacher support act as consistent protective factors, significantly reducing the likelihood of victimisation and moderating its academic consequences. Overall, the results emphasise the growing importance of integrating mental health and emotional support components into anti-bullying and educational performance policies. Bullying Academic Performance Spain Mental Health SEM Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 13 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 09 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 17 Feb, 2026 Reviews received at journal 04 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 04 Feb, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 02 Dec, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 23 Nov, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 23 Nov, 2025 First submitted to journal 18 Nov, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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