Skip to main content
Log in

Easy Talking With Parents as a Buffer in the Association Between Bullying Victimization and Declining Academic Performance among Foreign-Born and U.S.-Born Adolescents

  • Published:
Applied Research in Quality of Life Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study examines whether easy talking with parents would buffer the association between bullying victimization and declining academic performance among a nationally representative sample of foreign-born and U.S.-born adolescents. The study was drawn from the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children 2009-2010 cohort study in the United States. Analyses include descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and moderated regression analysis for each group (i.e., foreign-born and U.S.-born). Results indicate a significant relationship between bullying victimization and declining academic performance for foreign-born and U.S.-born adolescents. Findings also suggest that easy talking with parents moderated the association between bullying victimization and declining academic performance but for foreign-born adolescents only. The study highlights the importance of family and parental communication to ensure immigrant adolescents’ health, well-being, and academic progress. Practice and policy implications and future research directions are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Data Availability

The dataset used for this study is publicly available.

References

  • Ainsworth, M. D. S. (1982). Attachment: Retrospect and prospect. In C. M. Parkes & J. Stevenson-Hinde (Eds.), The place of attachments in human behavior (pp. 3–30). Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Immigration Council. (2021). Fact Sheet: Immigrants in the United States. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigrants-in-the-united-states. Accessed 31 December 2022.

  • AntÓnio, R., & Moleiro, C. (2015). Social and parental support as moderators of the effects of homophobic bullying on psychological distress in youth. Psychology in the Schools, 52(8), 729–742. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21856

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arseneault, L., Bowes, L., & Shakoor, S. (2010). Bullying victimization in youths and mental health problems: ‘Much ado about nothing’? Psychological Medicine, 40(5), 717–729. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291709991383

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, N. S., Lozano, P., & Rivara, F. P. (2007). The effectiveness of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in public middle schools: A controlled trial. Journal of Adolescent Health, 40(3), 266–274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.10.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauman, S., & Del Rio, A. (2005). Knowledge and beliefs about bullying in schools: Comparing pre-service teachers in the United States and the United Kingdom. School Psychology International, 26(4), 428–442. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034305059019

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beets, M. W., Cardinal, B. J., & Alderman, B. L. (2010). Parental social support and the physical activity-related behaviors of youth: A review. Health Education & Behavior, 37(5), 621–644. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198110363884

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biswas, T., Scott, J. G., Munir, K., Thomas, H. J., Huda, M. M., Hasan, M. M., ..., & Mamun, A. A. (2020). Global variation in the prevalence of bullying victimisation amongst adolescents: Role of peer and parental supports. EClinicalMedicine20, 100276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100276

  • Brown, B. B., & Larson, J. (2009). Peer relationships in adolescence. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (pp. 74–103). Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchmann, C., DiPrete, T. A., & McDaniel, A. (2008). Gender inequalities in education. Annual Review of Sociology, 34, 319–337. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.34.040507.134719

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cho, S., & Lee, J. M. (2018). Explaining physical, verbal, and social bullying among bullies, victims of bullying, and bully-victims: Assessing the integrated approach between social control and lifestyles-routine activities theories. Children and Youth Services Review, 91, 372–382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.06.018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Claes, L., Luyckx, K., Baetens, I., Van de Ven, M., & Witteman, C. (2015). Bullying and victimization, depressive mood, and non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents: The moderating role of parental support. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24, 3363–3371. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-015-0138-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, W. A., & Laursen, B. (2004). Parent-adolescent relationships and influences. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (2nd ed., pp. 331–361). John Wiley.

  • Cutrona, C. E., Cole, V., Colangelo, N., Assouline, S. G., & Russell, D. W. (1994). Perceived parental social support and academic achievement: An attachment theory perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66(2), 369–378.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dorner, L. M., Orellana, M. F., & Jiménez, R. (2008). “It’s one of those things that you do to help the family”: Language brokering and the development of immigrant adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 23(5), 515–543. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558408317563

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Espelage, D. L., Low, S. K., & Jimerson, S. R. (2014). Understanding school climate, aggression, peer victimization, and bully perpetration: Contemporary science, practice, and policy. School Psychology Quarterly, 29(3), 233. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000090

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Espelage, D. L., Low, S., Polanin, J. R., & Brown, E. C. (2013). The impact of a middle school program to reduce aggression, victimization, and sexual violence. Journal of Adolescent Health, 53(2), 180–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.02.021

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Espelage, D. L., Rose, C. A., & Polanin, J. R. (2015). Social-emotional learning program to reduce bullying, fighting, and victimization among middle school students with disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 36(5), 299–311. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932514564564

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Espelage, D. L., Rose, C. A., & Polanin, J. R. (2016). Social-emotional learning program to promote prosocial and academic skills among middle school students with disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 37(6), 323–332. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932515627475

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Espelage, D. L., Valido, A., Hatchel, T., Ingram, K. M., Huang, Y., & Torgal, C. (2019). A literature review of protective factors associated with homophobic bullying and its consequences among children & adolescents. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 45, 98–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2018.07.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans, C. B., Fraser, M. W., & Cotter, K. L. (2014). The effectiveness of school-based bullying prevention programs: A systematic review. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 19(5), 532–544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2014.07.004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fredrick, S. S., Traudt, S., & Nickerson, A. (2022). Social emotional learning practices in schools and bullying prevention. In J. Liew, T. Spinrad, & D. Fisher (Eds.), Encyclopedia of education. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frey, K. S., Hirschstein, M. K., Edstrom, L. V., & Snell, J. L. (2009). Observed reductions in school bullying, nonbullying aggression, and destructive bystander behavior: A longitudinal evaluation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(2), 466–481. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013839

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fuligni, A. J. (1997). The academic achievement of adolescents from immigrant families: The role of family background, attitudes, and behavior. Child Development, 68(2), 351–363. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-862401997.tb01944.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fuligni, A. J. (2006). Family obligation among children in immigrant families. Migration Policy Institute. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/family-obligation-among-children-immigrant-families/. Accessed 31 July 2022.

  • Fuligni, A. J., & Eccles, J. S. (1993). Perceived parent-child relationships and early adolescents’ orientation toward peers. Developmental Psychology, 29(4), 622–632. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.29.4.622

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gini, G., & Pozzoli, T. (2009). Association between bullying and psychosomatic problems: A meta-analysis. Pediatrics, 123(3), 1059–1065. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2008-1215

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gladden, R. M., Vivolo-Kantor, A. M., Hamburger, M. E., & Lumpkin, C. D. (2014). Bullying surveillance among youths: Uniform definitions for public health and recommended data elements, version 1.0. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Department of Education.

  • Glassner, S. D., & Cho, S. (2018). Bullying victimization, negative emotions, and substance use: Utilizing general strain theory to examine the undesirable outcomes of childhood bullying victimization in adolescence and young adulthood. Journal of Youth Studies, 21(9), 1232–1249. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2018.1461200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Görker, I. (2019). The prevalence and gender differences in specific learning disorders. In S. Misciagna (Ed.), Learning disabilities – Neurological bases, clinical features and strategies of intervention (pp. 17–24). IntechOpen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goyette, K., & Xie, Y. (1999). Educational expectations of Asian American youths: Determinants and ethnic differences. Sociology of Education, 72(1), 22–36. https://doi.org/10.2307/2673184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hagelskamp, C., Suárez-Orozco, C., & Hughes, D. (2010). Migrating to opportunities: How family migration motivations shape academic trajectories among newcomer immigrant youth. Journal of Social Issues, 66(4), 717–739. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2010.01672.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halliday, S., Gregory, T., Taylor, A., Digenis, C., & Turnbull, D. (2021). The impact of bullying victimization in early adolescence on subsequent psychosocial and academic outcomes across the adolescent period: A systematic review. Journal of School Violence, 20(3), 351–373. https://doi.org/10.1080/15388220.2021.1913598

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han, Y., Kang, H. R., Choe, J. W., & Kim, H. (2021). The moderating role of parental support in the relationship between latent profiles of bullying victimization and sense of school belonging: A cross-national comparison. Children and Youth Services Review, 122, 105827. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105827

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, A. F. (2022). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.

  • Iannotti, R. J. (2013). Health behavior in school-aged children (HBSC), 2009–2010. Inter-university consortium for political and social research [distributor]https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/NAHDAP/studies/34792/versions/V1/publications. Accessed 31 July 2022.

  • Irwin, V., Wang, K., Cui, J., & Thompson, A. (2022). Report on Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2021 (NCES 2022–092/NCJ 304625). National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, and Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2022092.Accessed 31 December 2022.

  • Jenkins, L. N., & Demaray, M. K. (2015). Indirect effects in the peer victimization-academic achievement relation: The role of academic self-concept and gender. Psychology in the Schools, 52(3), 235–247. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21824

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kao, G., Vaquera, E., & Goyette, K. (2013). Education and immigration. Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy, T. D., Russom, A. G., & Kevorkian, M. M. (2012). Teacher and administrator perceptions of bullying in school. International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership, 7(5), 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laith, R., & Vaillancourt, T. (2022). The temporal sequence of bullying victimization, academic achievement, and school attendance: A review of the literature. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 101722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2022.101722

  • Lee, C. T., Beckert, T. E., & Goodrich, T. R. (2010). The relationship between individualistic, collectivistic, and transitional cultural value orientations and adolescents’ autonomy and identity status. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39(8), 882–893. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-009-9430-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, X., & Lu, K. (2008). Student performance and family socioeconomic status: Results from a survey of compulsory education in Western China. Chinese Education & Society, 41(5), 70–83. https://doi.org/10.2753/CED1061-1932410505

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marks, A. K., Patton, F., & Coll, C. G. (2011). Being bicultural: A mixed-methods study of adolescents’ implicitly and explicitly measured multiethnic identities. Developmental Psychology, 47(1), 270. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020730

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maynard, B. R., Vaughn, M. G., Salas-Wright, C. P., & Vaughn, S. (2016). Bullying victimization among school-aged immigrant youth in the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health, 58(3), 337–344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.11.013

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Midgley, C., & Urdan, T. (1992). The transition to middle level schools: Making it a good experience for all students. Middle School Journal, 24(2), 5–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/00940771.1992.11495161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Migliaccio, T. (2014). Teacher engagement with bullying: Managing an identity within a school. Sociological Spectrum, 35(1), 84–108. https://doi.org/10.1080/02732173.2014.978430

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore, S. E., Norman, R. E., Suetani, S., Thomas, H. J., Sly, P. D., & Scott, J. G. (2017). Consequences of bullying victimization in childhood and adolescence: A systematic review and meta-analysis. World Journal of Psychiatry, 7(1), 60–76. https://doi.org/10.5498/wjp.v7.i1.60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nikolaou, D. (2022). Identifying the effects of bullying victimization on schooling. Contemporary Economic Policy, 40(1), 162–189. https://doi.org/10.1111/coep.12554

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Padilla, A. M. (2006). Bicultural social development. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 28(4), 467–497. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986306294255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peguero, A. A. (2012). School, bullying, and inequality: Intersecting factors and complexities with the stratification of youth victimization at school. Sociology Compass, 6(5), 402–412. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9020.2012.00459.x

  • Peguero, A. A., & Bondy, J. M. (2021). Immigration and school safety. Routledge.

  • Pottie, K., Dahal, G., Georgiades, K., Premji, K., & Hassan, G. (2015). Do first generation immigrant adolescents face higher rates of bullying, violence and suicidal behaviours than do third generation and native born? Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 17(5), 1557–1566. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-014-0108-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reid, G. M., Holt, M. K., Bowman, C. E., Espelage, D. L., & Green, J. G. (2016). Perceived social support and mental health among first-year college students with histories of bullying victimization. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25(11), 3331–3341. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0477-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robers, S., Zhang, J., & Truman, J. (2012). Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2011 (NCES 2012–002/NCJ 236021). National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, and Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

  • Rothon, C., Head, J., Klineberg, E., & Stansfeld, S. (2011). Can social support protect bullied adolescents from adverse outcomes? A prospective study on the effects of bullying on the educational achievement and mental health of adolescents at secondary schools in East London. Journal of Adolescence, 34(3), 579–588. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2010.02.007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sampasa-Kanyinga, H., Roumeliotis, P., & Xu, H. (2014). Associations between cyberbullying and school bullying victimization and suicidal ideation, plans and attempts among Canadian schoolchildren. PloS One, 9(7), e102145. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0102145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solberg, M. E., & Olweus, D. (2003). Prevalence estimation of school bullying with the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire. Aggressive Behavior, 29(3), 239–268. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.10047

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • United States Census Bureau. (2010). Current population survey. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jun Sung Hong or Jinwon Kim.

Ethics declarations

Ethics

There were no ethical issues concerning human participants/animals in the study.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was not required for this study.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Both A. Gomez and J. Kim contributed to the article equally and are co-second authors. The second authorship is alphabetically ordered.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hong, J.S., Gómez, A., Kim, J. et al. Easy Talking With Parents as a Buffer in the Association Between Bullying Victimization and Declining Academic Performance among Foreign-Born and U.S.-Born Adolescents. Applied Research Quality Life 18, 1453–1468 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-023-10146-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-023-10146-3

Keywords

Navigation