The Moderating Role of Family Resilience in the Relationship of Bullying Victimization, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Poverty Status to Adolescents’ Internalizing Disorders

ABSTRACT

Depression and anxiety are common and persistent internalizing disorders during adolescence. The present study aimed to explore whether family resilience would moderate the effects of bullying victimization, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and poverty status on adolescent internalizing disorders. This study used the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) and included 20,708 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years (M = 14.7, SD = 1.70). Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to examine the relationship of bullying victimization, ACEs, and poverty status with adolescents’ internalizing disorders and explore the moderating role of family resilience on that relationship. The study found positive associations of bullying victimization, ACEs, and poverty status with adolescents’ internalizing disorders. Family resilience moderated the effects of bullying victimization and ACEs on adolescents’ internalizing disorders. The findings suggest that to prevent adolescents’ internalizing disorders, it is critical to promote family resilience and reduce bullying victimization, ACEs, and poverty.

KEYWORDS:

• Adolescents
• bullying victimization
• ACEs
• poverty status
• family resilience

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).