Cyberbullying victimization and suicide ideation: A crumbled belief in a just world

Cyberbullying through the lens of trauma: an empirical examination of US youth

BACKGROUND

Scholars have argued that cyberbullying should be characterized as an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) given its potential for traumatic impacts on youth development. Considering the current attention surrounding mental health and well-being among adolescents, it seems critical to empirically measure this relationship, and also determine if some types have a stronger negative influence.

METHODS

Data utilized in this study were derived from a survey conducted on a nationally-representative sample in 2023 involving 2,697 English-speaking middle and high school students aged 13 to 17 residing within the United States.

RESULTS

We identified a strong positive relationship between PTSD symptoms and experience with cyberbullying. Surprisingly, exclusion and rejection were just as harmful as overt threats when it comes to inducing trauma. Gossip and malicious comments were as detrimental as targeting someone based on their identity.

CONCLUSION

By becoming more trauma-informed and implementing school-based specific measures, those who work with youth can better safeguard and support them in the face of cyberbullying.

The relationship between defending self-efficacy and defending behavior in cyberbullying: a moderated mediation model

Although defending self-efficacy is related to defending behavior in cyberbullying, little is known about the underlying mechanisms of this association. This study explored the relationship between defending self-efficacy and defending behavior. In a China sample, it examined the mediating role of defending intention and the moderating role of empathy in the association between defending self-efficacy and defending behavior. A cross-sectional sample of 672 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 14.86, SD = 1.74) completed a questionnaire, which includes measures of defending self-efficacy, defending intention, empathy, and defending behavior. Results showed that defending self-efficacy was significantly and positively associated with defending behavior. Mediation modeling indicated that defending self-efficacy directly affected defending behavior and could indirectly affect defending behavior through the mediating role of defending intention. In addition, the mediation role of defending intention was moderated by empathy, and as the level of empathy increased, the effect of defending self-efficacy on defending intention became stronger, and the effect of defending intention on defending behavior became stronger. These findings advance our understanding of how and when defending self-efficacy is related to defending behavior in cyberbullying among adolescents. It also sheds some light on preventing and intervening in adolescent cyberbullying from a bystander's perspective.

The influence of cyberbullying victimization on adolescents' engagement in non-suicidal self-injurious behavior: A longitudinal multi-mediation analysis

BACKGROUND

Cyberbullying victimization during adolescence may induce an increased risk for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, the longitudinal mediating mechanism underlying the association of cyberbullying victimization with adolescents' NSSI over time has not been studied fully.

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to examine the longitudinal mediating mechanism underlying relationship between cyberbullying victimization and NSSI. Based on Nock's (2009) integrated developmental model of NSSI, this study explored the mediating effects of psychological distress and maladaptive beliefs following cyberbullying victimization in this relationship.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A total of 773 Chinese adolescents (48.4 % males, T3 mean age = 16.37 ± 0.49 years) participated in this study and completed self-report questionnaires.

METHODS

We employed a three-wave (called T1, T2, and T3) longitudinal design. The participants completed all of the questionnaires at T1, completed questionnaires on psychological distress and maladaptive beliefs at T2, and completed the NSSI list at T3. Correlation analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM), and a bootstrap procedure were used to test our expectations.

RESULTS

Correlation analysis indicated that cyberbullying victimization, maladaptive beliefs, psychological distress, and NSSI were significantly and positively correlated with each other. The results of mediation analysis revealed that early cyberbullying victimization (T1) had a direct association with adolescents' subsequent NSSI (T3), and early cyberbullying victimization (T1) indirectly predicted adolescents' subsequent NSSI (T3) via the parallel and sequential mediating effects of maladaptive beliefs (T2) and psychological distress (T2).

CONCLUSIONS

Victims of cyberbullying are often prone to engaging in NSSI. Interventions that target students with NSSI should focus on intervening in their maladaptive beliefs and psychological distress following cyberbullying victimization.

More Cyberbullying, Less Happiness, and More Injustice-Psychological Changes During the Pericyberbullying Period: Quantitative Study Based on Social Media Data

BACKGROUND

The phenomenon of cyberbullying is becoming increasingly severe, and many studies focus on the negative psychological impacts of cyberbullying survivors. However, current survey methods cannot provide direct and reliable evidence of the short-term psychological effects of cyberbullying survivors, as it is impractical to measure psychological changes before and after such an unpredictable event in a short period.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the psychological impacts of cyberbullying on survivors during the pericyberbullying period, defined as the critical time frame surrounding the first cyberbullying incident, encompassing the psychological changes before, during, and after the event.

METHODS

We collected samples from 60 cyberbullying survivors (experimental group, 94/120, 78% female) and 60 individuals who have not experienced cyberbullying (control group, matched by sex, location, and number of followers) on Sina Weibo, a social media platform developed by Sina Corporation. During the pericyberbullying period, we retrospectively measured psychological traits 3 months before and after the first cyberbullying incident for both groups. Social media data and predictive models were used to identify survivors' internal psychological traits, including happiness, suicide risk, personality traits, and moral perceptions of the external environment. Network analysis was then performed to explore the interplay between cyberbullying experiences and psychological characteristics.

RESULTS

During the pericyberbullying period, survivors exhibited significantly reduced happiness (t59=2.14; P=.04), marginally increased suicide risk, and significant changes in the Big 5 personality traits, including decreased conscientiousness (t59=2.27; P=.03), agreeableness (t59=2.79; P=.007), and extraversion (t59=2.26; P=.03), alongside increased neuroticism (t59=-3.42; P=.001). Regarding moral perceptions of the external environment, survivors showed significant increases in communicative moral motivation (t59=-2.62; P=.011) and FairnessVice (t59=-2.20; P=.03), with a marginal rise in PurityVice (t59=-1.88; P=.07). In contrast, the control group exhibited no significant changes during the same time frame. Additionally, network analysis revealed that beyond cyberbullying experiences, core psychological characteristics in the network were neuroticism, conscientiousness, and Oxford Happiness.

CONCLUSIONS

By leveraging noninvasive retrospective social media data, this study provides novel insights into the short-term psychological impacts of cyberbullying during the pericyberbullying period. The findings highlight the need for timely interventions focusing on enhancing survivors' happiness, reducing suicide risk, adjusting personality traits, and rebuilding moral cognition to mitigate the negative effects of cyberbullying.

Family Economic Hardship and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Chinese Adolescents: Relative Deprivation as a Mediator and Self-Esteem as a Moderator

The literature provides empirical evidence that family economic hardship can increase the likelihood of adolescents engaging in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. Guided by the risky families model, this study aimed to investigate whether relative deprivation mediates the link between family economic hardship and adolescent NSSI, and whether self-esteem moderates this indirect link. A combined 673 adolescents (45.9% female; Mage = 12.81 years) completed measures of family economic hardship, relative deprivation, self-esteem, and NSSI. The results verified that relative deprivation mediated the positive link between family economic hardship and NSSI. Additionally, self-esteem moderated the effect of family economic hardship on relative deprivation. Adolescents possessing high self-esteem reported lower relative deprivation compared to those possessing low self-esteem, regardless of their level of family economic hardship. Notably, the mitigating effect of high self-esteem diminished with high family economic hardship. These findings provide deeper insights into the mechanisms by which family economic hardship affect adolescent NSSI, and have practical implications for prevention and intervention strategies targeting this behavior.

Just-World Beliefs, System Justification, and Their Relationship with People's Health-Related Well-Being: A Narrative Review

Beliefs about a social system help people understand and evaluate their environment and are related to their behavior within a society. When people believe that they live in a just social system and develop positive attitudes about the social and political environment, they experience greater satisfaction and well-being. This phenomenon is known as a palliative effect. Two theoretical approaches that explain support for social and political systems are the beliefs in a just world and system justification approaches. The objective of this review was to analyze the literature published between 2019 and 2023 that addressed the associations of beliefs in a just world and system justification with health-related well-being. The search yielded 2064 potentially eligible articles, 26 of which were ultimately selected. The results showed that beliefs in a just world are associated with a more positive perception of the world and better health outcomes. In addition, people with a greater propensity to justify the system experience higher levels of health-related well-being. This positive association is consistently observed across different social groups and contexts. These findings support the phenomenon of palliative effects attributable to beliefs in a just world and system justification.

Bullying victimization and mental health of Chinese adolescents: The chain of tragedy effect of belief in a just world and health promoting lifestyle

BACKGROUND

Experiences of being bullied in school can impair adolescents' subjective well-being and elevate the risk of psychopathology, suggesting the necessity of identifying factors that may protect against the deleterious effects of being bullied. This study expands upon prior research by examining the relationship between bullying victimization and adolescent mental health, specifically from the perspective of individual perceptions of justice and healthy lifestyles in the Chinese cultural context.

METHODS

A total of 3873 Chinese adolescents in grades 7-11 (51.85 % female) completed bullying victimization, belief in a just world, health promoting lifestyle, depressive symptoms, and subjective well-being measures, and provided information on their demographics, including gender, grade, family structure, parents' educational background.

RESULTS

After adjusting for demographic variables, bullying victimization was directly and positively related to depression, while directly and negatively related to subjective well-being. Bullying victimization also influenced depression and subjective well-being through three mediation pathways, with belief in a just world and health promoting lifestyle playing multiple mediating roles in the relationship between bullying victimization and mental health outcomes.

LIMITATIONS

The data used in this study were self-reported by adolescents and measured via cross-sectional designs, thus precluding statistical examination of temporal causal relationships, and assessments of whether reported affects are stable over time.

CONCLUSIONS

The study suggests that belief in a just world and health promoting lifestyle are important factors in understanding the impact of bullying victimization on adolescent mental health, and underscores the need for targeted bullying interventions for at-risk adolescents.

Self-esteem buffers the stress sensitizing effect of childhood maltreatment on adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury

BACKGROUND

Adversity in childhood increases the risk of psychopathology, perhaps by influencing sensitivity to recent stressful life events (SLEs). However, little is known about the stress-sensitizing effect of childhood adversity on nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), whether stress sensitization exists in specific types of SLEs, and the stress-buffering effect of self-esteem. This study aimed to investigate whether exposure to child maltreatment increases adolescent's vulnerability to the effects of dependent and independent SLEs on later NSSI and whether self-esteem buffers this risk.

METHODS

We conducted a two-wave study with 18-month intervals. 601 Chinese adolescents completed self-report measures of child maltreatment, SLEs, self-esteem, and NSSI.

RESULTS

Results supported the stress sensitization hypothesis for child maltreatment regarding dependent SLEs, with dependent SLEs significantly predicting later NSSI only in maltreated adolescents. Moreover, self-esteem buffered the relationship between dependent SLEs and NSSI in maltreated adolescents but amplified the relationship in non-maltreated adolescents. In the maltreated group, dependent SLEs predicted increased NSSI only in those with low self-esteem. In contrast, in the control group, dependent SLEs were significantly associated with NSSI in individuals with high self-esteem.

LIMITATIONS

We did not collect information on the timing of exposure to child maltreatment. Future studies that assess child maltreatment during critical periods of development may be able to identify sensitive period in which maltreatment sensitizes individuals to stress in adolescents.

CONCLUSION

Findings provide preliminary evidence that child maltreatment has a stress-sensitizing effect on adolescent NSSI. Improving self-esteem may mitigate the associations between SLEs and NSSI in adolescents exposed to child maltreatment.

Relationship between sleep quality and subjective well-being: resilience as a mediator and belief in a just world as a moderator

Background/Purpose

Sleep quality significantly impacts subjective well-being, yet its underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown from a scholarly perspective. Existing research has inadequately addressed the relationship between sleep quality and the subjective well-being of College students. This study primarily investigates the influence of sleep quality on the subjective well-being of College students and explores the mediating role of resilience and the moderating role of belief in a just world.

Methods

The study sample comprises 3349 enrolled College students. Measures include the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Subjective Well-being Scale, resilience scale, and belief in a just world scale. A moderated mediation model is employed to verify the mediating role of resilience and the moderating role of belief in a just world.

Results

(1) Sleep quality among College students is significantly positively correlated with resilience, belief in a just world, and subjective well-being. (2) Sleep quality positively predicts subjective well-being among College students. Resilience among College students serves as a mediator between sleep quality and subjective well-being, while belief in a just world moderates the influence of resilience on subjective well-being.

Conclusion

The results suggest that sleep quality can directly enhance the subjective well-being of College students and can also indirectly affect it through resilience. Additionally, belief in a just world can enhance the promoting effect of resilience on the subjective well-being of College students. These findings may contribute to understanding the impact of sleep quality on the subjective well-being of College students and its pathways. These research findings can serve as a reference for improving the subjective well-being of College students.

Bullying victimization and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents: the roles of belief in a just world and classroom-level victimization

Studies have demonstrated that bullying victimization is a risk factor for depressive symptoms; however, little is known about the underlying processes that may mediate or moderate this relationship. To address this research gap, this study examined the mediating effects of personal and general belief in a just world (BJW) and the moderating effect of classroom-level victimization on the relationship between bullying victimization and depressive symptoms. Using a short-term longitudinal design, two-wave data were obtained from 2,551 Chinese adolescents (initial age = 12.99 ± 0.61, 52.2% boys) from 47 classes over 6 months. The results indicated that Time 1 personal BJW mediated the relationship between Time 1 bullying victimization and Time 2 depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the mediating effect of Time 1 personal BJW was moderated by Time 1 classroom-level victimization; this effect was stronger for adolescents in classrooms with low levels of victimization. These findings contribute to our understanding of how and when bullying victimization impacts youth depressive symptoms. Education practitioners should pay special attention to personal BJW in victimized adolescents, especially when classroom-level victimization is low.

The effect of cyberbullying victimization and traditional bullying victimization on suicidal ideation among Chinese female college students: The role of rumination and insomnia

BACKGROUND

The issue of college student suicide has emerged as a significant global public health concern. To date, there has been a lack of extensive research on the effects of distinct forms of bullying victimization (traditional bullying victimization and cyberbullying victimization) on suicidal ideation, as well as the differences between them. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between two forms of bullying victimization and suicidal ideation among female college students, while also considering the potential mediating effects of rumination and insomnia.

METHODS

A total of 2106 female college students from Southern China participated in this study. The participants had a mean age of 19.83 years (SD = 1.04 years). Participants completed the MINI-C questionnaire, School Bullying Behavior Questionnaire, Cyberbullying Inventory (CBI), Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). The mediation models were conducted using Model 4 and Model 6 of the Process macro program in SPSS.

RESULTS

The results showed that (1) the mediating effect of rumination in the relationship between different forms of bullying victimization and suicidal ideation was significant; (2) The mediating effect of insomnia in the relationship between traditional bullying victimization and suicidal ideation was not significant; the mediating effect between cyberbullying victimization and suicidal ideation was significant. (3) The chain mediating effect of rumination and insomnia in the relationship between different forms of bullying victimization and suicidal ideation were both significant.

CONCLUSION

This study endeavor represents the first attempt to investigate the relationship between two forms of bullying victimization and suicidal ideation.

The Lived Experiences of Female Relatives of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) Offenders in Ireland and the United Kingdom

There is a limited understanding about how an association with those that download Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), a highly stigmatized crime, impacts the lives of their innocent family members. Non-offending family members are often considered a valuable protective resource for offender desistance and in safeguarding children from abuse. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the lived experiences of female family members of CSAM offenders in Ireland and the United Kingdom to both identify and target areas for intervention thus ameliorating their ability to protect. A qualitative research design was adopted, and data analyzed via reflexive thematic analysis. Fifteen individuals self-selected for participation and interviews resulted in the identification of three key themes: Shattered Worldview, The Injured Self; Contamination by Association. The analysis highlighted how non-offending family members experienced considerable shame, trauma, and stigma with consequences that reached into every aspect of their lives. The findings are discussed in the context of the limited available literature along with research implications and recommendations for both policy and practice.

The Bridge between Cybervictimization and Suicidal Ideation among Adolescents: A Vicious Cycle of Hopelessness

Cybervictimization has been shown to relate to suicidal ideation. However, few studies have fully clarified the directionality of this relationship, and little is known about the potential mediating and moderating mechanisms of this relationship. To address these gaps, the current study tested bidirectional relationships among cybervictimization, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation across three years using a cross-lagged design and examined whether these relationships varied by openness, family socioeconomic status, perceived economic stress, and sex. A total of 2,407 Chinese adolescents (50.23% female, M_age = 12.75, SD = 0.58 at baseline) from seven schools participated in the present study. The results indicated that cybervictimization was related to hopelessness and suicidal ideation. There was a vicious cycle between cybervictimization and hopelessness after controlling the effects of cyberbullying at T1. There were significant reciprocal relationships between hopelessness and suicidal ideation. Hopelessness at T2 mediated the relationship between cybervictimization at T1 and suicidal ideation at T3. Openness moderated the relationships among cybervictimization, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation. Family socioeconomic status, perceived economic stress, and sex did not play a moderating role. These findings will help to understand that intervening with hopelessness is a promising way to reduce adolescents' cybervictimization and suicidal ideation, and promoting adolescents' openness is an effective approach to alleviate the negative outcome of cybervictimization.

The longitudinal relation between violence exposure in daily life, hostile automatic thoughts, and cyber-aggression

Cyber-aggression is a serious social problem worldwide. Its risks have been frequently explored, and violence exposure in daily life has been regarded as an important risk factor of cyber-aggression. However, the longitudinal association between violence exposure in daily life and cyber-aggression has not yet been examined, and the mechanisms underlying the link between violence exposure and cyber-aggression remain largely unclear. Based on the General Aggression Model and Script Theory, we explored the circular relation between violence exposure in daily life, hostile automatic thoughts, and cyber-aggression. The current study adopted a longitudinal design to address these issues among 941 college students. The results indicated violence exposure in daily life predicted hostile automatic thoughts and cyber-aggression 6 months later; hostile automatic thoughts predicted violence exposure and cyber-aggression 6 months later; and cyber-aggression predicted hostile automatic thoughts and violence exposure 6 months later. Moreover, each of them plays a mediating role in the association between the other two variables. These results support and expand the General Aggression Model and Script Theory that violence exposure, aggressive cognition, and aggression facilitate each other. This also provides theoretical guidance on reducing cyber-aggression in daily life.

Cyber-victimization and Suicidal Ideation in Adolescents: A Longitudinal Moderated Mediation Model

Cyber-victimization is a significant risk factor for suicidal ideation among adolescents. However, little research has studied how cyber-victimization may impact suicidal ideation over time, and little is known about what protective factors can buffer against these associations. Guided by the integrated motivational-volitional model of suicidal behavior, this longitudinal study inspected the mediating role of hopelessness in the relation between cyber-victimization and suicidal ideation and the moderating roles of mindfulness and perceived social support in those mediating associations. A total of 1110 Chinese early adolescents (46.1% female; M_age at Wave 1 = 12.90 years) participated in a three-wave longitudinal study with 6-month intervals. The results showed that cyber-victimization positively predicted adolescents' suicidal ideation 1 year later, and this effect was fully mediated by hopelessness. Mindfulness buffered against the predictive effect of cyber-victimization on hopelessness, and perceived social support buffered against the predictive effect of hopelessness on suicidal ideation. The results further showed that the indirect effect of hopelessness was more salient when there were lower levels of mindfulness and perceived social support. This study reveals the moderated mediation processes explaining the impact of cyber-victimization on adolescents' suicidal ideation. Fostering youth's mindfulness and providing social support may attenuate the effects by which cyber-victimization causes suicidal ideation via hopelessness.

The relationship between childhood maltreatment and adolescents' cyberbullying victimization: The new phenomenon of a "cycle of victimization"

BACKGROUND

The research community is showing an increasing concern about the adverse outcomes of childhood maltreatment for adolescents. However, whether childhood maltreatment is associated with cyberbullying victimization and what the underlying mechanisms of this relationship are remain to be identified.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to examine the relationship between childhood maltreatment and cyberbullying victimization and whether self-compassion and fear of missing out (FoMO) can simultaneously moderate this relationship among adolescents.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A sample of 1025 Chinese adolescents (50.8 % male participants, age = 15.50 ± 0.52 years) completed questionnaires regarding childhood maltreatment, cyberbullying victimization, self-compassion, and FoMO.

METHODS

Our hypotheses were tested by correlation analysis and Model 3 of the PROCESS macro.

RESULTS

Childhood maltreatment significantly predicted adolescents' cyberbullying victimization (β = 0.28, p < .001). High self-compassion weakened the relationship between childhood maltreatment and cyberbullying victimization (β = -0.10, p < .001). Furthermore, self-compassion and FoMO simultaneously interacted with childhood maltreatment to predict cyberbullying victimization (β = 0.08, p < .001). Specifically, high FoMO weakened the moderating effect of self-compassion on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and cyberbullying victimization. Childhood maltreatment significantly predicted cyberbullying victimization among adolescents high in FoMO, regardless of self-compassion levels. In contrast, childhood maltreatment non-significantly predicted cyberbullying victimization when adolescents were high in self-compassion and low in FoMO.

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood maltreatment is positively associated with cyberbullying victimization. Moreover, increasing self-compassion and decreasing FoMO can mitigate the effect of childhood maltreatment on cyberbullying victimization.

Sex differences of parental phubbing on online hostility among adolescents: A moderated mediation model

To explore the relationship between parental phubbing (PP) and adolescent online hostility and its' psychological mechanism, 689 Chinese adolescents were recruited to complete a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. We took cyber flaming (CF) as an overall category for hostile online communication to investigate the relationship between PP and CF and the mediating role of perspective-taking (PT) in this relationship and examined whether there is a sex difference in this process. After controlling the average daily online time, the results showed that PP predicted adolescent CF positively. The relationship between PP and CF was partially mediated by PT. The effect of PP on PT was moderated by sex, with the result being significant only for boys. Related findings and future directions were discussed.

The Association Between Cyberbullying Victimization and Suicidal Ideation Among Chinese College Students: The Parallel Mediating Roles of Core Self-Evaluation and Depression

With the rapid development of science and technology, the Internet has formed a new form of aggression, which is called cyberbullying. Many studies have demonstrated that cyberbullying can cause serious damage to the physical and mental health of Chinese college students, such as depression and suicide. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and suicidal ideation and the parallel mediating roles of core self-evaluation and depression. A questionnaire was used to measure the research variables in this study among 1,509 college students. The results indicated that: After controlling for participants' gender, age, family structure, and family economic status, cyberbullying victimization significantly and positively related to suicidal ideation. Core self-evaluation and depression separately mediated the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and suicidal ideation. The mediating effect of depression was stronger than that of core self-evaluation. The findings support a parallel mediation model of the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and suicidal ideation. Our study may help to develop interventions and prevention measures for college students who experienced cyberbullying victimization.

What awareness variables are associated with motivation for changing risky behaviors to prevent recurring victims of cyberbullying?

The detrimental consequences for victims of cyberbullying is becoming a major public health problem in many countries. However, it is a possibility that such victims will experience repeated cyberbullying in future. Therefore, a sustainable, long-term solution is to train victims to prevent cyberbullying and cope effectively with future situations. This aim of this study was to further our understanding of the factors involved in both raising awareness and increasing motivation in relation to the process of changing risky social media behaviors in order to reduce future incidences of cyberbullying. The study was conducted with a group of 541 late adolescents, who studied at university level and were victims of cyberbullying, and 397 parents. Data was collected using online questionnaires, which were designed according to I-Change Model (ICM) theory, and statistically analyzed to determine the presence of a causal relationship using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results of this study showed that family communication, loneliness, perceived susceptibility, and message and channel type had direct influences on victims’ awareness of risky behaviors. Based on parental views, the channel had a direct influence on the awareness of victims and this, in turn, had a direct influence on motivation for enacting changes in health behavior (including both psychological and physical health). It was also found that motivation for improving psychological health has a strong influence on physical health. The study results were consistent for both victims and parents. Therefore, in future, issues that should be prioritized and acted upon include promoting cooperation between victims, parents, schools, and mental health professionals in order to train and educate victims and develop an intervention program that takes into account family and personal relationships. These actions may reduce behaviors among adolescents that put them at risk of being ongoing victims of cyberbullying.

Cybervictimization and well-being among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating roles of emotional self-efficacy and emotion regulation

Cybervictimization has been linked to adverse psychological consequences but little is known about the mechanisms linking cybervictimization to lower well-being. We conducted two studies to examine emotional self-efficacy and distinct emotion regulation strategies as potential mediators in the relationship between cybervictimization and lower well-being among German adolescents during the school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. In Study 1, 107 adolescents (M_age = 15.76) reported their cybervictimization frequency, emotional self-efficacy beliefs, and aspects of well-being (i.e., self-esteem, perceived social support, and subjective well-being during the COVID-19 related school closures). Emotional self-efficacy mediated the link between cybervictimization and all well-being measures. Specifically, cybervictimization was related to lower well-being through lower self-efficacy for managing negative emotions. For further examination, in Study 2, 205 adolescents (M_age = 15.45) were asked to report their cybervictimization experiences, use of specific emotion regulation strategies (rumination, reappraisal, and suppression), and well-being (i.e., self-esteem and life satisfaction). Cybervictimization was related to lower well-being through more rumination, but not through reappraisal or suppression. Taken together, our findings suggest that cybervictims may have lower emotional self-efficacy beliefs and engage in more rumination, a maladaptive emotion regulation strategy. These deficits in adolescents’ beliefs and capabilities for effectively managing negative emotions may be accountable for the adverse psychological consequences of cybervictimization. Notably, exploratory analyses suggest that cybervictimization frequency did not increase among adolescents during the lockdown (e.g., homeschooling, social distancing) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.