Lihong Zeng, Xihua Chen
Drawing on Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model and social role theory, this study examined whether trait emotional intelligence mediates the relationship between teacher support and bullying experiences among migrant children in China, and whether this indirect relationship varies by gender. A total of 451 upper-grade elementary school migrant children in China completed self-administered questionnaires. Through mediation and moderated mediation analyses, the results showed that teacher support was negatively correlated with experiences of bullying. Trait emotional intelligence statistically mediated the association between teacher support and bullying victimization. Furthermore, gender moderated the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and bullying victimization: the negative correlation was significant among boys but not among girls. Gender did not significantly moderate the direct relationship between teacher support and bullying victimization. These findings contribute to understanding how school-level relational support and children's emotional resources are jointly associated with bullying victimization among migrant children, and provide practical insights for schools serving migrant children in implementing anti-bullying interventions.