The Relationship Between Social Exclusion and Peer Bullying in Adolescents: Sequential Mediating Roles of Individual and Social Responsibility and Emotional Intelligence

Schools make significant contributions to the development of both social and cognitive skills in students. However, students sometimes behave in a hurtful and offensive manner in their interactions with each other. Bullying in school environments negatively affects students’ mental health and damages their friendships. While the factors influencing peer bullying have been investigated, the underlying mechanisms associated with peer bullying remain unclear. In particular, the mediating mechanisms in the relationship between social exclusion and school bullying have not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to examine the mediating roles of individual and social responsibility, as well as emotional intelligence, in the relationship between social exclusion and peer bullying among adolescents, based on the temporal need-threat model. A total of 595 Turkish high school students participated in the study (Mage = 15.7; 62.5% female, 37.5% male). The findings indicate significant relationships among social exclusion, individual and social responsibility, emotional intelligence, and peer bullying. The results revealed a sequential mediating relationship between individual and social responsibility, emotional intelligence, and peer bullying.