Natural Mentoring Relationships as a Protective Factor for Victims of Bullying

School bullying is associated with a host of unfavorable psychosocial outcomes, even as victims enter college. Thus, the identification of modifiable protective factors remains an important goal of psychological research in the context of resilience theory. The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effect of natural mentoring relationships (NMRs) on the association between peer victimization and college adjustment. Participants were 239 undergraduate students from a rural Midwestern university. Results indicated that higher levels of past peer victimization were associated with higher levels of depression and interpersonal problems. The presence of NMRs moderated the relationship between past peer victimization and interpersonal problems. Though further study is necessary, NMRs among school-aged students who experience bullying may be beneficial.