Impact of victimisation on youth’s mental health and its subsequent risk to drug addiction
Insights from the global perspective
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21600945 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Muhammad Mujtaba Asad (0000-0001-9532-7054, Sukkur IBA University), Maria Akhund (Sukkur IBA University), Norah Almusharraf (0000-0002-6362-4502, Prince Sultan University), Norah Mansour Almusharraf (Prince Sultan University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 126 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 552-568 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-09 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Health Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0965-4283 • E-ISSN: 1758-714X |
| Publisher | Emerald (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1108/he-08-2025-0130 |
| OpenAlex | W7127906183 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 62 |
Purpose This article explores the interconnection between childhood bullying victimisation and mental health and its resulting risk of subsequent drug addiction on a comparative international scale. Toward this, the objective of this article is to bring out the awareness about the abiding impacts of childhood bullying and how it leads to substance abuse and mental health problems in both developed and low- and middle-income nations. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a narrative literature review, where various literature reviews are used as a study selection. The literature review has led to the unfolding of seven themes that depict psychological impacts, causal factors and dilemmas of victimisation by bullies on the mental health of youth. Findings The link between childhood bullying with the mental health of youths who engage in substance abuse has been depicted to be strong. It also shows that victims of childhood bullying are at high risk of developing anxiety, depression and other mental issues. Further, a strong association also exists between drug addiction behaviour and bullied victims among the youth. Findings also indicate that bullying rates and substance use characteristics differ across the world, with developed nations reporting higher cyberbullying rates, whereas developing nations report higher victimisation rates, whether physical or social, resulting in drug addiction. Practical implications This narrative review can be an eye-opener for the schools, communities, organisations and policymakers to establish comprehensive anti-bullying programs and mental health support programs with an aim of eliminating bullying and providing help to the victims of bullying. The article encourages the context-specific interventions, especially regarding low- and middle-income nations in which the level of mental health support and policy implementation is still insufficient based on global policy lessons. Originality/value This narrative literature review will complement the existing research on childhood victimisation by bullying, mental health consequences and its predisposition to drug addiction. It adds an international comparative perspective, establishing cross-cultural similarities and differences, like bullying and its psychological impact. In addition, it provides the necessity of context-specific solutions to focus on these issues
Addiction · Mental health · Poison control · Substance abuse · Suicide prevention · Victimisation · Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Human Factors and Ergonomics
Behind the numbers
Attachment and empathy as predictors of roles as defenders or outsiders in bullying interactions
Peer Victimization, Aggression, and Their Co-Occurrence in Middle School
Bullying Victimization Uniquely Contributes to Adjustment Problems in Young Children
Adult Health Outcomes of Childhood Bullying Victimization
Adult Psychiatric Outcomes of Bullying and Being Bullied by Peers in Childhood and Adolescence
Psychosocial Risk Factors Associated With Cyberbullying Among Adolescents
Four decades of research on school bullying
Bullying in schools and exposure to domestic violence
Overview and Methods for the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System — United States, 2019
Aggression, social cognitions, anger and sadness in bullies and victims
Direct and Indirect Aggression During Childhood and Adolescence
Executive function and the promotion of social–emotional competence
The nature of cyberbullying, and strategies for prevention
Social behavior and peer relationships of victims, bully‐victims, and bullies in kindergarten
Predictors of bullying and victimization in childhood and adolescence
Bullying, Self-Control, and Adhd
Bullying Behaviors Among US Youth
Right To Play’s intervention to reduce peer violence among children in public schools in Pakistan
An Exploration of the Link Between Bullying Perpetration and Substance Use
Prevalência de bullying e fatores associados em escolares brasileiros, 2015
Is Peer Victimization Associated with Academic Achievement? A Meta-analytic Review
Self-Harm, Suicidal Ideation, and Suicide Attempts in Chinese Adolescents Involved in Different Sub-types of Bullying
Trends in Bullying and Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties Among Pakistani Schoolchildren
Prevalence of bullying and victimization among children in early elementary school
Life Satisfaction, School Satisfaction, and School Violence
Are the Competent the Morally Good? Perspective Taking and Moral Motivation of Children Involved in Bullying
Socially Undesirable Need Not Be Incompetent
Cyberbullying Research
Moral Disengagement About Cyberbullying and Parental Monitoring
Does School Connectedness Buffer the Impact of Peer Victimization on Early Adolescents’ Subsequent Adjustment Problems
Prevalence of cyberbullying victimization among Pakistani Youth
Community violence victimization and aggressive behavior
School bullying and the mechanisms of moral disengagement
Does empathy predict adolescents' bullying and defending behavior
Cyberbullying
Toward an Integration of Subjective Well-Being and Psychopathology
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |