The Protective Role of Pursuing Meaning in Victims of Bullying: Insights from Retrospective Interviews

This study explores which factors contribute to psychological resilience in victims of bullying, focusing on the roles of meaning and hope. Based on six retrospective, semi-structured interviews with adults, we examined how meaning- and hope-related orientations and behaviors support long-term recovery. Using deductive thematic analysis, guided by predefined constructs, we identified three central themes: existentially grounded attitudes and actions related to meaning, hopeful orientation, and the potential for meaningful action – a novel concept reflecting existential agency. Participants who reported higher levels of experienced meaning described lower emotional distress and stronger identity integration. These patterns aligned with participants’ psychometric profiles on hope, life meaning, and life satisfaction. Of the six hypotheses we established grounded in logotherapy and resilience theory, several were supported by the findings. This study contributes to integrating logotherapy and trauma research by highlighting existential resources that support long-term recovery and may inform about interventions aimed at restoring agency and coherence after bullying experiences.