Bullying Roles, Self-efficacy, and Social Support Through Social Identity Theory

School bullying consists of a serious social and educational challenge, affecting numerous students. However, its repercussions are not uniformly distributed among participants. Numerous studies have underscored the variability in benefits and consequences, based on the roles individuals assume. The current study aimed to investigate the divergent levels of self-perception aspects (self-efficacy [SE], social support [SS]) among primary participants in various bullying roles (bullies, bully-victims, victims, and uninvolved). A total of 1,178 students from Greek primary and secondary schools (M = 12.98, SD = 1.49; 600 girls, 578 boys) participated, completing a questionnaire comprising demographic inquiries, the revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire, Bandura's Children's Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Short Form Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ6). Drawing upon social identity and social cognitive theories, the study examines the potential influence of specific bullying roles on self-perception distribution. The analyses of variance indicated significant differences in self-efficacy and SS among the different bullying roles. Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed noteworthy calibration of social SE and SS among perpetrators of bullying. The findings highlighted that students who exhibit their superiority through moral behavior, rather than engaging in bullying, sustain healthier levels of SE and SS. Thus, fostering a supportive classroom environment and prioritizing moral goal attainment shows potential for producing beneficial outcomes.