Mindfulness as a mediator of the relationship between childhood maltreatment and school bullying involvement
Guiqing Zheng, Yandie He, Shuqing Liu, Xin Tian, Xinyi Liu, Xiang Wang, Yi Xiang, Jin Lu, Yuanyuan Xiao
Scientific Reports August 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-68291-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 27,530 |
| Population | Adolescents aged 10–17 years |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Childhood maltreatment was associated with higher odds of school bullying involvement (OR = 1.82), and higher mindfulness with lower odds (OR = 0.94). Mindfulness mediated 33.11% of the total association, most strongly for bullies (42.41%), followed by victims (32.91%) and bully-victims (29.78%). The authors propose mindfulness as a potential intervention target for trauma-affected adolescents. |
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a major public health concern that substantially raises the risk of adolescent school bullying. While mindfulness alleviates trauma-related distress by enhancing emotional regulation, its mediating effect on the link between maltreatment and bullying remains poorly understood. This cross-sectional study recruited 27,530 adolescents aged 10–17 years. Multilevel logistic regression and structural equation modeling were applied. After adjusting for covariates, CM was linked to elevated odds of school bullying (OR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.66–1.99). Higher mindfulness levels were associated with lower risk (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.92–0.95). Mindfulness mediated 33.11% of the total association. Its mediation was strongest for bullies (42.41%), followed by victims (32.91%) and bully-victims (29.78%). Emotional maltreatment was the primary subtype driving this pathway, with stronger mediation observed among girls, ethnic minorities, and adolescents aged 13–17. Our findings suggest that mindfulness is a potential intervention target for protecting trauma-affected adolescents from bullying.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |