A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

A healthy context, a just context? The role of classroom-level victimization in the adverse effects of bullying victimization on students' belief in a just world




AuthorsGraf, Daniel; Yanagida, Takuya; Laninga-Wijnen, Lydia; Garandeau F., Claire; Salmivalli, Christina

PublisherElsevier

Publication year2025

JournalJournal of School Psychology

Article number101472

Volume111

ISSN0022-4405

eISSN1873-3506

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2025.101472

Web address https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2025.101472

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/498926116


Abstract

The phenomenon that victims of bullying experience greater psychological problems in environments with lower levels of victimization is known as the healthy context paradox. The current study investigated the healthy context paradox with respect to students' belief in a just world. Specifically, we examined prospective effects of bullying victimization on personal and general belief in a just world, while taking the classroom level of victimization into account. Based on self-reports from 2010 Finnish 4th to 9th grade students (50.9 % girls, Mage = 12.6, SD = 1.71), multilevel models revealed negative prospective associations between bullying victimization and both types of belief in a just world. In addition, classrooms with initially lower levels of victimization subsequently showed higher levels in both types of belief in a just world. Finally, the adverse effects of bullying victimization on both types of belief in a just world were stronger in classrooms with lower levels of victimization. Our results support and extend the healthy context paradox. Implications, particularly for prevention and intervention strategies are discussed.


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Funding information in the publication
This research was supported by the Challenge Project (ERC-AdG 2019: 884434; awarded to Prof. Christina Salmivalli) and the INVEST Research Flagship Centre, funded by the Research Council of Finland (Decision Number: 345546). Open Access funding was provided by the University of Turku, including Turku University Central Hospital.


Last updated on 2025-28-07 at 09:39