Moderating effect of attachment to parents on the association between bullying and self-esteem among early adolescents aged 10 to 12

The aim of this study was to examine whether attachment to each parent moderates the relationship between bullying victimisation and self-esteem. The sample consisted of 250 junior high school students (114 males, 136 females; mean age: 11.3 years). The administered scales were the Bully/Victim Questionnaire Revised, the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment for Children and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results showed that early adolescents subjected to bullying had lower self-esteem than non-bullied peers. For girls, attachment to mother also accounted for self-esteem over and above the effect of bullying. For boys, attachment with the father appeared as a pure moderator of the effect of bullying as the association with self-esteem was non-significant when attachment scores were high. The findings suggest that attachment to same sex parents may foster better self-esteem in the face of bullying. Parents' participation in preventive measures could be encouraged.