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Different stigmas, different patterns: unfair treatment maps onto bullying involvement through internalizing and
Xiaoran Zhang1, Jinxiao Ginnie Liu2, Wanjing Li2
1School of Public Administration & Law, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.
Frontiers in Psychology
|July 3, 2026
Summary
Different forms of bias-based bullying have distinct psychological impacts. Sexual orientation or gender identity-based unfair treatment is most strongly linked to both bullying victimization and perpetration, highlighting the need for targeted protections.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- Bias-based bullying is often oversimplified, masking unique psychological roles of different prejudices.
- Urgent need to identify specific stigma types most linked to bullying victimization and perpetration due to inadequate legal protections.
- Understanding these links is crucial for developing effective anti-bullying strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distinct psychological pathways linking various forms of unfair treatment to bullying.
- To compare the associations of racial/ethnic, disability-related, and sexual orientation or gender identity-based unfair treatment with bullying outcomes.
- To identify which types of bias-based unfair treatment have the strongest connections with bullying victimization and perpetration.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of the 2022 National Survey of Children's Health data.
- Utilized comparative multiple-mediator association models.
- Examined links between unfair treatment, internalizing/externalizing problems, and bullying roles using bootstrap samples and pathway comparisons.
Main Results:
- All three unfair-treatment indicators were associated with bullying victimization.
- Sexual orientation or gender identity-based unfair treatment uniquely showed a direct link to perpetration.
- Indirect associations via internalizing problems were found for all unfair treatment types, while externalizing pathways were specific to sexual orientation or gender identity-based unfair treatment.
- Sexual orientation or gender identity-based unfair treatment had stronger associations in several pathways compared to racial/ethnic or disability-related unfair treatment.
Conclusions:
- Distinct prejudices exhibit unique psychological association patterns with bullying.
- Sexual orientation or gender identity-based unfair treatment is linked to internal distress, external dysregulation, and greater involvement in bullying roles.
- Precision prevention strategies are recommended, including universal protections, specific safeguards for LGBTQ+ youth, and targeted support for internalizing issues in racial/ethnic and disabled youth.
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