Does Gender Moderate the Relationship Between Bullying Victimization and Depression? A Longitudinal Study

Background Existing literature suggests that bullying victimization increases the risk of adolescent depression, but evidence regarding the longitudinal associations between specific victimization types (physical, verbal, relational, and cyber) and depression remains limited, particularly in terms of gender differences. This study examined the predictive effects of these four types of victimization on depression at the six-month follow-up and investigated the moderating role of gender. Methods We collected two-wave longitudinal data from 457 Grade 10 students (227 boys, 230 girls; M age = 15.93, SD  = 1.94) at a high school in Gansu Province, China, in June 2024 (T1) and December 2024 (T2). They were asked to complete a series of self-reported questionnaires, including demographic information, the Revised Bullying Victimization Questionnaire (BVQ-R), and the depression subscale of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). We conducted hierarchical multiple regression analyses to examine main and interaction effects, and performed simple slope analyses for significant interactions. Results After adjusting for relevant demographic variables, regression analyses revealed that physical, verbal, relational, and cyber victimization all significantly and positively predicted depression at follow-up. However, no significant moderating effect of gender was observed. Conclusion Distinct types of bullying victimization significantly contribute to subsequent depression in adolescents, with effects comparable across genders. These findings suggest that school-based anti-bullying and mental health interventions should be inclusive of students of all genders and address multiple forms of victimization.