Bullying victimization and adolescent mental health: General and typological effects across sex

Purpose: Victims of bullying are susceptible to a variety of detrimental consequences. It remains unclear, however, whether the type of bullying victimization and the gender of the victim matter as they relate to two mental health consequences: (1) depression, and (2) suicide ideation. Methods: We examined the effects of the bullying victimization experiences of 1,874 adolescents. Controlling for known predictors of maladaptive mental health, we assessed whether any bullying victimization and any type of bullying victimizations were associated with depression and suicide ideation. Each of these relationships was also compared across gender. Results: Reported victimization rates varied across three types of bullying. Experiencing any type of bullying victimization corresponded with higher levels of depression and suicide ideation for females and males. Females and males who were verbally bullied experienced higher rates of depression than those who were not bullied. Female cyber bully victims experienced higher levels of depression compared to male cyber bully victims. No significant gender differences in suicide ideation emerged across individuals who experienced any type of bullying. Conclusions: Assistance to victims in terms of the development and/or maintenance of their mental health must be mindful of how individuals are being victimized and the gender of the victim. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.