Bullying victimization in adolescents and young adults has been identified as a significant risk factor for suicidal behavior. However, evidence regarding the relationship between the two is limited and requires further analysis. To explore and map the relationship between bullying victimization and the spectrum of suicidal behavior in adolescents and young adults. A scoping review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and ScienceDirect databases for studies published between January 2022 and January 2026. Inclusion criteria included original research addressing the relationship between bullying and suicidal behavior in adolescents and young adults. Studies not involving humans, non-original research, and non-English publications were excluded. A total of nine studies meeting the inclusion criteria were extracted and thematically analyzed. Of the nine studies analyzed, bullying victimization was significantly associated with an increased risk of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and self-harm. Depression and hopelessness were found to be key mediators of this relationship, while physical factors such as sleep disturbances and obesity also exacerbated the effects. Bullying involving a combination of traditional and cyberbullying showed the highest risk of suicidal behavior. Bullying victimization significantly influences suicide risk in adolescents and young adults. Developing more comprehensive interventions that incorporate social and psychological support is crucial to mitigate the negative impact of bullying. Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms underlying this relationship and develop more effective intervention models.
Fajariyah et al. (Fri,) studied this question.