Abstract
Introduction: Using a six-week three-wave prospective study, I examined the relationships
among bullying victimisation, feelings of entrapment, and suicidal ideation to test the predictions of the integrated motivational-volition (IMV) model of suicidal thinking and behaviour. It specifically examined if online or in-person victimisation led to greater feelings of entrapment and subsequent suicidal thoughts. Methods: Undergraduate psychology students (n = 230) aged 18- to 24-years-old completed online questionnaires about in-person and cyber bullying, suicidal ideation, and entrapment at three time points separated by two weeks. Results were initially analysed using a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM), followed by a post-hoc analysis adopting a dynamic panel model (DPM) that measured stable trait- level factors. Results: Key findings included 1) almost 43% of participants experienced suicidal ideation at baseline, while most participants reported in-person (84%) and cyber (76%) victimisation at baseline; 2) entrapment significantly predicted subsequent suicidal ideation in the CLPM, but this effect was no longer significant in the DPM; 3) cyber victimisation showed a stronger relationship with entrapment and suicidal ideation than in- person victimisation; 4) contrary to predictions, entrapment did not mediate the relationships of either bullying subtype with suicidal ideation irrespective of analysis method, ethnicity, or sex; and 5) no evidence for reverse mediation was found. Conclusion: Study results provide limited support for the IMV model in the context of university bullying, at least with respect to mediation by entrapment of the effect of bullying on ideation. The findings should be considered in light of the limitations including demographics and sample size, data collection timeframe, and bullying severity. Future research should examine what time-invariant factors influence the relationship between bullying, entrapment, and suicidal ideation.