The experience of living with a chronic condition (CC) impacts adolescents’ psychologicaland social adjustment and overall functioning. Considering the increased risk ofpsychosocial challenges among adolescents with CC, this study aimed to enhance ourunderstanding of the psychological and social factors that impact their quality of life. Italso compared the psychological and social variables among (a) adolescents with andwithout CC and (b) adolescents with CC who are and who are not victims of bullying.The results demonstrated that adolescents with CC showed more psychosocialdifficulties than their peers, as they more frequently reported involvement in situationsof violence, and demonstrated more difficulties at a psychological and emotional level.Further, being victims of bullying increased the psychosocial vulnerabilities of theseadolescents. A better quality of life was associated with the following psychosocialfactors: not being a victim of bullying or cyberbullying, having less anxiety and fewerdepressive symptoms, liking school, receiving more support from family and friends,having better relationships with peers, and having fewer physical and psychologicalsymptoms. These findings are significant for helping schools develop tools andstrategies to address violence and support students with CC, who are at a higher riskof being involved in such situations and require a targeted response. Page 2 129Cerqueira et al.Continuity in EducationDOI: 10.5334/cie.131CHARACTERISTICS OF ADOLESCENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASESChronic or non-communicable diseases are characterized by the need for monitoring andmanagement throughout the life cycle, as they are long-lasting health conditions witha generally slow progression (World Health Organization [WHO], 2018 , 2020). The term“chronic disease” encompasses diverse health conditions with considerable variation (Bernell& Howard, 2016). For example, Stein et al. (1993) defined chronic conditions (CC) as healthissues stemming from biological, psychological, or cognitive factors, persisting for at leastone year and resulting in one or more of the following outcomes: developmental limitations,heightened reliance on third-party assistance, medication, or medical device dependence, andnecessitating continuous medical care and treatment.The experience of living with a CC tends to have psychological and social repercussions (Butleret al., 2018; Runions et al., 2020 ), affecting psychosocial adjustment and functioning (Gasparet al., 2019; Malkowska-Szkutnik & Mazur, 2019; Mullins et al., 2017; Runions et al., 2020; Secintiet al., 2017; Sentenac et al., 2022 ; van der Sprenkel et al., 2022). In terms of psychologicalfunctioning, a diagnosis of CC may be associated with situations of stress, anxiety, anddepression, among other problems (Revenson & Hoyt, 2016). Therefore, adolescents with CChave a higher risk of developing mental health problems (Butler et al., 2018 ; Runions et al.,2020).Regarding social functioning, adolescents with CC exhibit an increased risk of involvement inbullying situations (Faith et al., 2015 ; Haegele & Zhu, 2023; Jackson et al., 2019 ; James et al.,2022; Pinquart, 2017; Pittet et al., 2010; Runions et al., 2021; Sentenac et al., 2011). Bullying isan aggressive and offensive behavior perpetuated for a continued period towards individualswho are at a disadvantage compared to the perpetrator of this behavior (Hellström et al.,2021). It is common among adolescents with subsequent consequences and repercussions ontheir physical health, psychosocial functioning, and academic performance (Arslan et al., 2021;Chudal et al., 2021 ; Eyuboglu et al., 2021 ; González-Cabrera et al., 2020 ; Jackson et al., 2019;Koyanagi et al., 2019; Li et al., 2022).Adolescents with CC also tend to experience more difficulties in school than their peers(Cerqueira, Gaspar, et al., 2022 ; James et al., 2022 ; Kirkpatrick, 2020 ; Malkowska-Szkutnik &Mazur, 2019). Specifically, a CC influences various aspects of a student’s life, such as academicsuccess, school attendance, relationships with teachers and peers, and participation in differentsocial contexts (Kirkpatrick, 2020; Nap-van der Vlist et al., 2020 , 2021; Runions et al., 2020 ;Schlebusch et al., 2020; Schlecht et al., 2023).A study by Sentenac et al. (2022) that analyzed the school experience across differentdimensions (including peer victimization) of adolescents from 19 European countries foundthat students with CC had higher levels of negative school experiences than their peers. Thisincluded school absenteeism resulting from the specificities of the existing health conditionand lack of support appropriately adjusted to their needs (Malkowska-Szkutnik & Mazur, 2019;Pittet et al., 2010; Runions et al., 2020, 2021; Sentenac et al., 2013; Taylor et al., 2008).Adolescents’ well-being is influenced by their family, school, and peer group, which caneither support or threaten their health and well-being (Butler et al., 2022). Promoting schoolbelonging and building positive relationships with peers and teachers can significantly impactadolescents’ overall well-being. That is, positive relationships create a sense of belonging andsecurity which, in turn, contribute to a more fulfilling experience during the formative years(Buratta et al., 2023; Kirkpatrick, 2020).With regard to bullying, in addition to the type of dynamics and the quality of relationshipsexisting in the school environment, it is essential to consider the influence of the family andpeer group environments on adolescents’ involvement in bullying (Ahmed et al., 2022; Biswaset al., 2022; Marini et al., 2023; Pouwels & Garandeau, 2021; Thornberg et al., 2022).The level of participation of adolescents with CC in the different contexts of their lives (e.g.,school, family, peer group) also affects their quality of life and well-being (Cerqueira, Gaspar etal., 2022; Cerqueira, Guedes, Marques-pinto et al., 2022). In fact, a higher risk of impairments inor barriers to social participation and the physical and psychological characteristics associatedwith their existing health condition are some of the factors that can contribute to a greaterpropensity of these students to be victims of bullying (Pinquart, 2017).