Life satisfaction in teenage boys: The moderating role of father involvement and bullying

It has been suggested that bullying at school and low social support are related to relatively poor mental health in schoolchildren. Based on data from 1344 adolescent boys aged 13-19 years in Britain, this study explored whether father involvement, as an underestimated-in the related research-source of social support, can protect against low levels of satisfaction with life. Multiple regression analysis showed that low father involvement and peer victimization contributed significantly and independently to low levels of life satisfaction in adolescent boys. There was also evidence relating to a buffering effect of father involvement in that father involvement protected children from extreme victimization.

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