Bullying-induced trauma symptomatology among adolescents in Bangladesh: The mediating role of attachment styles

Objectives

This study aimed to explore how attachment styles mediated between bullying and trauma symptomatology in Bangladeshi Adolescents.

Method

This cross-sectional study was conducted in Bangladesh between July to September 2022. By convenient sampling, we collected data from adolescents (Ages 12 to 18, n = 615, 309 females and 306 males, Mean Age = 15.12, SD = 0.81). The participants completed the Bangla revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ-R), Attachment Styles Classification Questionnaire (ASCQ-B), and Children's Revised Impact of Events Scale-13 (CRIES-13). We used Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) for data analysis.

Results

The reflective measurement model analysis assessed satisfactory factor loadings ranging from 0.628 to 0.967, with composite reliability (CR) values between 0.914 and 0.968, indicating acceptable internal consistency. Convergent validity was met for most constructs, except for the OBVQ-R, which likely reflects two distinct factors—Victimization and Perpetration. The predictive accuracy of the model was confirmed with Q² values: 0.026 for bullying's effect on attachment style, 0.065 for bullying's impact on trauma, and 0.259 for attachment's effect on trauma. Additionally, bullying had significant indirect effects on trauma through attachment (β = 0.153, p < .001), showing substantial mediation. The overall model fit was satisfactory, with an SRMR value of 0.07.

Conclusion

The association between bullying and trauma is partly mediated by attachment styles, indicating that attachment-focused therapies could mitigate the trauma associated with bullying.