The Mediating Role of School Connectedness in the Relationship Between Social-Emotional Learning and Bullying Victimization

This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of school connectedness in relationship between social-emotional learning and bullying victimization. This study was a correlational descriptive one. Its statistical population included all boy and girl high school students in Khaf in the academic year 2021-2022, among whom 364 individuals (190 girls-174 boys) were finally selected by Random cluster sampling method. Social-Emotional Learning Scale (CASEL, 2008), School Connection Scale (Brown and Evans, 2002), and Multidimensional Peer-Victimization Scale (Maynard and Joseph, 2000) were used to collect data. The structural equation modeling method was used by AMOS software version 24. The results showed that social-emotional learning had a direct and significant effect on school connectedness and victimization. School connectedness also had a direct and significant effect on victimization and mediates the relationship between social-emotional learning and victimization; in a way that social-emotional learning while creating desirable environments and effective relationships, reduces the victimization of students through improving school connectedness. It is suggested that to reduce victimizatio, school-oriented social-emotional learning programs should be developed by the planners and administrators of education to improve effective social skills in students and strengthen the school connectedness in the students at the same time, and can decrease the victimization.