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Description
Understanding pathways to suicidal ideation is crucial for prevention efforts, as peer victimization (PV) has emerged as a significant prospective predictor of suicidal ideation (van Geel et al., 2022). Drawing on the Approach/Inhibition Theory of Power, which links powerlessness to increased threat sensitivity and behavioral inhibition (Keltner et al., 2003), this study investigated whether power dynamics and helplessness moderate the relationship between retrospectively reported PV and current suicidal ideation (SI) in a college student sample. Participants (N = 283) were predominantly first-year college students (M = 18.99 years, SD = 1.57), cisgender women (65.05%, n = 188), and White (84.38%, n = 243). Participants reported on PV experiences from childhood through adolescence and were classified based on power dynamics relative to their bullies: less power (60.78%) versus more/same power (39.22%). Due to significant non-normality, current SI was dichotomized for logistic regression analysis. Results revealed that power significantly moderated the relationship between childhood/adolescent PV frequency and current SI. For individuals with less power than their bullies, PV was strongly, positively associated with current SI (OR = 14.12, p = .006), with 47.1% reporting ideation compared to 23.4% in the more power group. Helplessness did not moderate the relationship between PV and SI in either power group. The findings suggest that PV may be particularly harmful when accompanied by powerlessness, with effects persisting into college. Prevention efforts should focus particularly on students who experienced chronic PV within power-imbalanced relationships. Future research should explore mechanisms in the power-suicide relationship among diverse college populations.
Keywords
peer victimization, suicidal ideation, power dynamics, college students, bullying
| Please indicate what type of scientific contribution it is | Quantitative method study |
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| Please also indicate what kind of contribution it is: | Scientific |
