The effect of bullying victimization trajectory on internet gaming disorder and the mediating role of impaired resilience: a three-wave cohort study among Chinese adolescents.

BACKGROUND: While bullying victimization is a known risk factor for Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), the differential impact of distinct longitudinal victimization patterns and the underlying psychological mechanisms are poorly understood. This study aimed to identify bullying victimization trajectories and test a mediational model linking them to IGD via impaired resilience. METHODS: A three-wave longitudinal study was conducted with an initial cohort of 20,137 Chinese adolescents. Peer victimization (Multidimensional Peer-Victimization Scale), IGD (Internet Gaming Disorder Scale - Short Form), and resilience (Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale) were assessed via standard questionnaires. Growth Mixture Modeling was used to identify bullying trajectories, and a bootstrapped mediation analysis tested the hypothesized model while controlling for baseline covariates. RESULTS: Four distinct trajectories were identified: low-risk (77.8%), chronic (9.1%), remitting (9.9%), and escalating (3.2%). Compared to the low-stable group, the chronic and escalating trajectories were associated with a significantly higher risk of IGD at T3 (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.23 and AOR = 10.56, respectively; all p < 0.001). The mediating effect of resilience was significant for the chronic (0.92; 95% confidence interval [95%CI], [0.82, 1.01]) and escalating (1.24; 95% CI, [1.08, 1.41]) groups but not remitting groups. CONCLUSION: Chronic and escalating peer victimization are significant risk factors for adolescent IGD, partly by impaired resilience. A remitting pattern does not confer the same risk. Findings underscore the need for longitudinal monitoring of victimization and the implementation of resilience-building interventions as a key strategy for preventing IGD in at-risk youth. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: This is not a clinical trial. Therefore, the clinical trial number was not applicable.