Effects of Cyberbullying and Cybervictimization on Early Adolescents' Mental Health: Differential Mediating Roles of Perceived Peer Relationship Stress

Victimization and cybervictimization: The role of school factors

INTRODUCTION

Victimization and cybervictimization can negatively affect the subjective experience of well-being. This effect can be mediated by school factors, even if a deep understanding of these factors still needs to be determined. The present study examined how peer network, teacher support, and school connectedness mediated the relationship between victimization, cybervictimization, and well-being. We developed two mediation models, considering victimization (Model 1) and cybervictimization (Model 2) as predictors, well-being as the outcome, peer network, teacher support, and school connectedness as parallel mediators, and gender as a covariate variable.

METHODS

The sample comprised 563 Italian students (Mage = 11.5; 45% females). Students filled out a purpose-built questionnaire investigating victimization and cybervictimization, peer network, teacher support, school connectedness, and well-being. Two multiple mediation models were run using Process.

RESULTS

The two models showed similar patterns [Model 1: F(8, 169) = 34.35, p ≤ .001, R2 = .34; Model 2: F(8, 169) = 40.13, p ≤ .001, R2 = .34]. Indeed, victimization (Model 1) and cybervictimization (Model 2) had negative significant effects on peer network, teacher support, and school connectedness. However, their direct effects on well-being were not significant, as peer network and school connectedness emerged as complete mediators between victimization (Model 1) and cybervictimization (Model 2) and well-being. Males displayed higher levels of well-being compared to females.

CONCLUSIONS

Peer network and school connectedness play a crucial role in mediating the impact of victimization and cybervictimization on well-being. Educators and policymakers should prioritize fostering supportive peer network and strengthening school connectedness to create an environment that mitigates the negative effects of victimization and cybervictimization, enhancing overall student well-being.

Cyberbullying and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) in Adolescence: Exploring Moderators and Mediators through a Systematic Review

(1) Objective: This systematic review explores the intricate relationship between cyberbullying and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents, acknowledging the dynamic nature of these phenomena in the evolving landscape of technology and social norms. (2) Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and EMBASE were searched, and 14 studies were selected based on the eligibility criteria, focusing on participants aged 10 to 19, cyberbullying roles, and NSSI as the predictor and outcome variables, respectively. (3) Results: Internalizing symptoms, specifically depression and anxiety, emerged as the most prominent mediators. However, factors such as externalizing symptoms, stress, and negative emotional responses (emotion reactivity, negative emotions) were also identified to play a significant role in the relationship between cyberbullying and NSSI. On the other hand, protective factors against the negative impact of cyberbullying on NSSI risk, such as strong peer connections and school engagement, were identified. (4) Discussions: This review underscores the multidimensional nature of the cyberbullying-NSSI association, emphasizing the roles of potential risk factors such as internalizing and externalizing symptoms, stress, and negative emotional response. Internalizing symptoms played a central role as pathways between cyberbullying victimization and NSSI. Additionally, social factors, including peer connections and school engagement, were found to act as protective elements. (4) Conclusion: Continuous investigation is crucial in order to adapt interventions to the evolving technological and social landscape. The study advocates for targeted interventions that prioritize positive social connections to mitigate the impact of cyberbullying on adolescent well-being.

Understanding general and specific associations between cyberbullying and psychopathological symptoms in adolescents: a latent dimensional approach

Cyberbullying (perpetration and victimization) is a prevalent public health problem associated with a wide variety of psychopathological symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety, delinquent behaviors, and substance use). However, the generality and specificity of relations between cyberbullying involvement and psychopathological symptoms have not been investigated. Thus, the current study used a latent dimensional approach to examine how cyberbullying (perpetration and victimization) is associated with underlying dimensions of psychopathology as well as with specific symptoms. General and specific associations were estimated by a series of structural equation models with data from 654 Chinese adolescents (52.4% girls, Mage = 12.96 years, SD = 0.67) in a three-wave study. Results indicated that cyberbullying (perpetration and victimization) was significantly and positively associated with latent internalizing and externalizing dimensions. Cyberbullying involvement was non-significantly associated with most specific symptom domains after accounting for the impact of the latent internalizing and externalizing factors. In a few cases, cyberbullying involvement was directly and uniquely associated with specific symptoms. Findings of significant general and symptom-specific associations have important implications for efforts to develop more efficient and targeted strategies for preventing and treating mental health problems associated with cyberbullying.

Cybervictimization and nonsuicidal self-injury: The mediating role of depressive symptoms and the moderating role of emotional reactivity

BACKGROUND

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) has garnered growing attention in recent years, and cybervictimization (CV) has been identified as a risk factor for NSSI among adolescents. However, little is known about this association's longitudinal mediating and moderating mechanisms. Guided by the experiential avoidance model, the present study used a short longitudinal design to examine the mediating role of depressive symptoms and the moderating role of emotional reactivity between CV and NSSI.

METHODS

A total of 577 Chinese middle school students (Mage  = 14.38, SD = 0.67) completed the measures of CV, NSSI, depressive symptoms, and emotional reactivity. They provided data in two waves (T1 and T2, 6 months apart).

RESULTS

The results found a longitudinal association between CV and NSSI as well as the mediating role of depressive symptoms. Moreover, emotional reactivity amplified the relationship between CV and NSSI via depressive symptoms; specifically, the relationship between depressive symptoms and NSSI was only significant for adolescents with high emotional reactivity.

CONCLUSION

The current study has found that emotional reactivity moderated the indirect effect of depressive symptoms on the relationship between CV and NSSI. These findings have implications for the identification and intervention of NSSI in early adolescents.

Longitudinal Associations Between Cybervictimization and Adolescent Sleep Problems: The Role of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms

Adolescents who have experienced cybervictimization are at risk for sleep problems. However, there is a gap in knowledge about the mechanism that would explain this link. The study used a longitudinal design to test if cybervictimization predicted adolescents' sleep problems 6 and 12 months later, and whether these patterns could be explained in part by emotional distress in response to the victimization. Participants were 1987 Chinese adolescents (56.1% males) ages 10 to 14 (M = 12.32, SD = 0.53) at baseline. Data were collected over the course of 1 year, in three waves 6 months apart. The adolescents completed questionnaires regarding cybervictimization, sleep problems, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms at all three time points. Autoregressive cross-lagged models showed that cybervictimization predicted later sleep problems after controlling for traditional peer victimization, and anxiety and depressive symptoms mediated this link. Multivariate latent growth models showed that the developmental trajectories of cybervictimization, sleep problems, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms were related in complex ways over time. Measures of study variables were self-reported, and generalizability may be limited by a sample of adolescents from school in China. These results are important because of their implications for prevention and treatment of adolescents' sleep problems evoked by cybervictimization.

The longitudinal course of childhood bullying victimization and associations with self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in children and young people: A systematic review of the literature

INTRODUCTION

Bullying victimization has consistently been highlighted as a risk factor for self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) in young people. This systematic review of prospective, community-based studies explored associations between bullying victimization (traditional/face-to-face and cyber) across the full spectrum of self-harm and suicidality, in children and young people aged up to (and including) 25 years. Importantly, associations by sex/gender were explored.

METHODS

MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Scopus were searched for articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Articles were screened by title, abstract and full text. Quality appraisal was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cohort studies. Data were synthesized narratively. The protocol is registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021261916) and followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines.

RESULTS

A total of 35 papers were included, across 17 countries. Results were presented by bullying type: traditional/face-to-face (n = 25), cyber (n = 7) and/or an aggregate of both types (n = 7). Outcomes included suicidal ideation (n = 17), self-harm (n = 10), suicide attempt (n = 4), NSSI (n = 4), other (n = 7). Studies measured outcomes in under 18s (n = 24), 18-25-year-olds (n = 8) and both under 18s and 18-25-year-olds (n = 3). Studies exploring the role of sex/gender (20%) found some interesting nuances.

CONCLUSIONS

Some weak to strong associations between bullying and SITBs were found yet conclusions are tentative due to study heterogeneity (e.g., methods used, conceptualizations and operationalisations of exposures/outcomes). Future research should address methodological issues raised in this review, and further explore gender differences in bullying, including by bullying sub-types (e.g., overt or relational) and victim status (e.g., victim or bully-victim).

New evidence on technological acceptance model in preschool education: Linking project-based learning (PBL), mental health, and semi-immersive virtual reality with learning performance

Despite significant research on student learning performance, the literature on preschool education is limited. The learning performance of different institutes in China has not been satisfactory, and students are not given enough technological resources to help them improve their learning performance. Although Chinese preschool students are active learners, their learning performance is inadequate. As a result, this research aimed to discover how project-based learning, semi-immersive virtual reality, and mental health influence learning performance. For data collection, 800 questionnaires were distributed to high schools, and 290 valid questionnaires were considered for the data analysis using Smart PLS-SEM. According to the study's findings, project-based learning is critical for improving learning performance. This study's findings are significant because they show that mental health and semi-immersive virtual reality significantly mediate the relationship between project-based learning and learning performance. The study's findings are critical for educational institutions interested in improving student performance through project-based learning opportunities. Furthermore, because it employs an innovative technology acceptance model, this study has significant practical implications for project-based learning and student learning performance.

Cyberbullying on social media under the influence of COVID‐19

The sudden emergence of the COVID‐19 pandemic has introduced new norms largely revolving around the use of social media, disrupting the mentality of Internet users, especially the youth, resulting in an increase in cyberbullying. The rise in the popularity of many apps that facilitate online interactions has increased the risk of cyberbullying incidents. Not only did the COVID‐19 pandemic transform social life, work, and education towards online modes of interaction, but it has also contributed to the ongoing digitization of bullying. As work moved to the home, so did bullying. This study aims to understand how the COVID‐19 pandemic, which affects social media usage, increases the incidence of cyberbullying. We tested our hypotheses using a sample of 200 Malaysian participants. The results showed that the relationship between the COVID‐19 pandemic's influence and cyberbullying was significant. However, we failed to find any statistical evidence that gender moderates this relationship. This study found an increase in cyberbullying incidents resulting from the increased use of social media due to the COVID‐19 pandemic's influence. Our findings contribute to the body of knowledge on the prevalence of cyberbullying in Malaysia, which may benefit future research.

Social media and adolescent psychosocial development: a systematic review

Adolescents are noted to increasingly utilise social media for communication, and therefore, social media is where much of their psychosocial development takes place. The potential impact of social media on psychosocial development is complex and is an emerging field of research. A systematic review was conducted to investigate existing research relating to social media’s effects on psychosocial development. Good practice in systematic review reporting was followed, aligned to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement, and a team of five reviewers were involved in each stage of the review process to enhance objectivity and methodological rigour. The review included 20 studies, published between 2008 and 2019. The findings show a complex relationship between social media and adolescent psychosocial development. Social media was found to involve potential risks, in terms of excessive and problematic use, comparison, and cyberbullying. Social support, from both peers and parents, may buffer these negative impacts. Potential benefits of social media use include supporting identity development and the maintenance of existing peer relationships. Considering the growth of social media use, it is imperative to consider the development and provision of interventions and mental health care services to address the potential risks associated with increased social media use. Psychoeducation with adolescents and parents as to the risks, benefits, and constructive parental supervision of social media is also recommended. The review highlights the need for high-quality empirical research to further clarify the long-term impact of social media use, particularly within the South African context.

Co-developmental trajectories of parental involvement: Relations to academic achievement and externalizing and internalizing problems among Chinese elementary schoolchildren

BACKGROUND

Parental involvement is an important multi-faceted factor in children's academic performance and school behaviour. However, most prior studies have involved cross-sectional designs, with few studies exploring the co-developmental nature of various parental involvement characteristics over time and their associations with children's academic achievement, externalizing, and internalizing problems.

AIMS

This study explored (a) co-developmental trajectories of seven parental involvement characteristics in elementary schoolchildren, and (b) relations to children's academic achievement, externalizing, and internalizing problems.

SAMPLE AND METHODS

A total of 3553 Chinese elementary schoolchildren (M_age  = 9.90, SD = .72; 53.9% boys) completed relevant measures on 4 occasions at 6-month intervals. Parallel process latent class growth modelling was used for examining study hypotheses.

RESULTS

Four co-developmental trajectories of parental involvement were identified: 'High motivation and involvement', 'Low motivation and involvement', 'Incongruent motivation and involvement', and 'Incongruent motivation and high involvement'. The highest academic achievement and fewest externalizing and internalizing problems were observed for schoolchildren in the 'High motivation and involvement' class, followed by those who were in the 'Incongruent motivation and high involvement' and 'Incongruent motivation and involvement' classes, and finally, schoolchildren were the 'Low motivation and involvement' class.

CONCLUSIONS

The identification of heterogeneous trajectories with differential outcomes highlights the importance of individual differences considerations in understanding the co-developmental patterns of parental involvement, suggesting that specific interventions need to be formulated for differing groups.

Co-development of aggression in elementary school children: The predictive roles of victimization experiences

Aggression among peers is a common and serious problem in school-age children. Physical, relational, and cyber aggression often occur simultaneously but may exhibit heterogeneous developmental patterns. We aimed to identify heterogeneous co-developmental patterns of physical, relational, and cyber peer aggression and to investigate the contributions of victimization experiences to co-developmental trajectories. Participants were 2869 elementary school students (56.2% boys), initially in fourth grade (M_age  = 10.51 years) in China. Longitudinal data on peer aggression were collected from participants semiannually for 2 years. Data on victimization experiences were collected in the initial measurement wave. Parallel process latent curve growth modeling produced four co-developmental trajectories of peer aggression: High Desisting group, Moderate-Increasing group, Moderate-Physical and Relational Aggression group, and Low Stable group. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that childhood emotional abuse, psychological maltreatment by teachers, as well as physical peer victimization, and cyber peer victimization, served as risk factors for severe co-developmental trajectories. The findings highlight the co-development of physical, relational, and cyber aggression. The identification of risk factors for co-developmental trajectories points to the need for continued monitoring and protection from ongoing victimization experiences in the family and school settings to prevent or ameliorate aggressive behavior.

Factors Associated with Cyberbullying Victimisation among Colombian High-School Adolescents

The study's purpose was to examine the prevalence and explore some factors associated with cyberbullying in high-school adolescents at ​​Santa Marta, Colombia. A cross-sectional study was designed, which participated in students between 13 and 17 years. Participants completed the item for being a victim of cyberbullying of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey for high school students designed by the Center for Disease Control of the United States. A total of 1462 students answered the questionnaire (M = 14.4 years, SD = 0.8). 19.6% (n = 287) reported lifetime cyberbullying victimisation. Cyberbullying victimisation was associated with post-traumatic stress disorder risk (OR = 2.05, 95%CI 1.51-2.79), lifetime cigarette smoking (OR = 1.91, 95%CI 1.42-2.57), female gender (OR = 1.68, 95%CI 1.25-2.26), family dysfunction (OR = 1.68, 95%CI 1.18-2.41), and poor-fair health condition (OR = 1.45, 95%CI 1.08-1.95). Being a victim of cyberbullying is frequent among Colombian high-school adolescents. It is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder risk, cigarette smoking, female gender, family dysfunction, and poor-fair general health condition. Longitudinal investigations are needed to measure better the dynamics of cyberbullying and the nature of such associations.

Cyberbullying victimization and depression among adolescents: A meta-analysis

Cyberbullying is a category of bullying that occurs in the digital realm/medium of electronic text. In this study, we used meta-analysis to explore the relation between cyberbullying victimization and depression. We investigated 57 empirical studies from 17 countries (74 effect sizes and 105, 440 participants). The results showed that there was a significant positive relation between cyberbullying victimization and depression (r = .291, 95% CI = [.246, .335]). Moreover, we found that gender, age and publication year significantly moderated the relation between cyberbullying victimization and depression.

Anxiety symptoms mediates the influence of cybervictimization on adolescent non-suicidal self-injury: The moderating effect of self-control

BACKGROUND

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has received increased attention as a major public health problem among adolescents. However, there is a lack of evidence testing the longitudinal association between cybervictimization and NSSI as well as its underlying mediating and moderating mechanisms. The current study investigated the potential mediator (i.e., anxiety symptoms) and moderator (i.e., self-control) of the relation between cybervictimization and NSSI over a 12-month period.

METHODS

Three waves of data (called T1, T2 and T3) were collected 6 months apart, between November 2018 and 2019. 1987 Chinese adolescents completed self-report measures in their classrooms. SEM was used to test a moderated mediation model, with gender, age and childhood trauma and baseline measures as covariates.

RESULTS

The results found a longitudinal association between cybervictimization and NSSI as well as the mediating role of anxiety symptoms in explaining this association. Moderated mediation analyses revealed that greater cybervictimization contributed to anxiety symptoms, which in turn predicted increased levels of NSSI only among adolescents with lower self-control.

LIMITATIONS

Measures of study variables were self-reported, and generalizability may be limited by a sample of adolescents from school in China.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study demonstrated that the indirect effect of anxiety symptoms in the association between cybervictimization and NSSI was conditioned by self-control. These results have implications for preventative interventions aimed toward reducing NSSI for at-risk adolescents.

Associations Between Cyberbullying Perpetration, Sleep Quality, and Emotional Distress Among Adolescents: A Two-Wave Cross-Lagged Analysis

ABSTRACT

Previous studies demonstrate that cyberbullying perpetration and sleep quality likely have vital linkages to each other and to emotional distress. In this article, we examine the bidirectional association between cyberbullying perpetration, sleep quality, and emotional distress in a longitudinal data set with two waves of data collection (T1 and T2, 8 months apart). The participants included 661 Chinese junior high school students (n = 661; mean age, 14.02; 61.4% male) who filled out the Revised Cyber Bullying Inventory-Cyberbullying Subscale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. Results revealed that cyberbullying and sleep quality would predict each other over time, and significant bidirectional relationships were found between sleep quality and emotional distress across T1 and T2. Cyberbullying at T1 would not predict the emotional distress at T2, whereas emotional distress at T1 was associated with cyberbullying at T2.

A Serial Mediation Model of the Relationship between Cybervictimization and Cyberaggression: The Role of Stress and Unforgiveness Motivations

Cyberaggression is often triggered by cybervictimization. However, little attention has been given to the underlying mechanisms in this relationship. Specifically, this study examined the mediating roles of stress as well as unforgiveness (i.e., revenge and avoidance motivations) in the cybervictimization-cyberbullying aggression link. The main goal is to investigate the direct and indirect effects of cybervictimization on cyberbullying aggression while modeling a process in which cybervictimization causes stress, which in turn causes unforgiveness motivations concluding with cyberbullying aggression as the consequent. A total of 979 adolescents (M_age = 13.72, SD = 1.31) completed the relevant scales at two time points spaced four months apart. The results confirm that stress and revenge motivation at Time 1 act as serial mediators between cybervictimization at Time 1 and cyberbullying behaviors at Time 2. Additionally, the results reveal that avoidance at Time 1 was not a significant mediator in the links between cybervictimization at Time 1 and cyberbullying aggression at Time 2. Our findings provide support for the stress-and-coping model of forgiveness in adolescence and offer original insight into the developmental process of bully-victims in cyberbullying context. These results suggest the importance of efforts addressing motivations and emotion-focused coping strategies in adolescents who have been bullied to prevent and reduce those adolescents’ future stress and aggressive behaviors. The contributions and implications of the results are discussed.

The Impact of Cybervictimization on Psychological Adjustment in Adolescence: Analyzing the Role of Emotional Intelligence

Cybervictimization has been associated with serious emotional adjustment problems such as low self-concept and depressive symptomatology. In addition, these problems can negatively affect the well-being of the victims, manifesting in their levels of satisfaction with life. However, it should be noted that not all cybervictims develop these consequences with the same intensity. These differences seem to be related to the development of emotional intelligence (EI), as it can positively influence adolescents' emotional adjustment and well-being even when problems arise. The objective of this work was to analyze the role of EI on cybervictimization and adolescents' emotional adjustment, especially in self-concept, depression, and life satisfaction. The participants in the study were 1318 adolescents of both sexes and aged between 11 and 18 years (M = 13.8, SD = 1.32), from four secondary compulsory education centers in Spain. EI influences the relationship between self-concept and life satisfaction, and between depression and life satisfaction. In addition, the relationships of cybervictimization with self-concept and depression are influenced when introducing EI and its dimensions (emotional attention, clarity, regulation). These data support the idea that EI may affect the relationship between cybervictimization and adolescents' emotional adjustment.

Workplace Cyberbullying and Interpersonal Deviance: Understanding the Mediating Effect of Silence and Emotional Exhaustion

Workplace cyberbullying (WCB) is a new form of hostility in organizations in which information technology is used as a means to bully employees. The objective of this study is to determine the association between WCB and the interpersonal deviance (ID) of victims through parallel mediation through the ineffectual silence of employees and emotional exhaustion (EE). Conservation of resource (COR) theory and affective events theory were used as the study's guiding framework, and data were drawn from 351 white-collar employees who were employed in a variety of industries-such as banking, telecommunications sector, education, health care, insurance, and consultancy-in Lahore, Pakistan. The results show that ineffectual silence negatively mediated the relationship between cyberbullying and deviance, decreasing the level of deviance of employees who used silence as a coping mechanism. EE, however, positively mediated the relationship between cyberbullying and deviance. This means that when employees felt emotionally overwhelmed they retaliated by engaging in deviant behaviors and acting as a bully toward colleagues. Drawing on the COR theory and the affective events theory, the findings show that WCB has an impact on ID. From a practical standpoint, the study reveals that WCB can lead to ID and it also may associate with large financial costs and workplace disruptions. Thus, organizations should establish a culture that prevent employees from engaging in WCB and adopt practices of prevention and intervention because it is not only harmful to the employees but also to the organization.

Longitudinal cross-lagged analyses between cyberbullying perpetration, mindfulness and depression among Chinese high school students

The aim of this study is to examine the longitudinal relationships between cyberbullying perpetration, mindfulness, and depression among Chinese adolescents. The participants in our study included 1390 high school students who were randomly selected from several secondary schools in east China. Participants completed the Chinese version of Revised Cyber Bullying Inventory-Cyberbullying Subscale, the Chinese version of the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale and the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children at two time points (6-month interval). The results found that cyberbullying, mindfulness and depression would predict each other over time. Contributions to theory, limitations in our research and recommendations for future intervention are discussed in this article.

The Association of Cyber-Bullying and Adolescents in Religious and Secular Schools in Israel

Internet usage during leisure time is a growing area of research, especially among adolescents. Our aim was to evaluate the association between Internet usage patterns of religious and secular adolescents, exposure to cyber-bullying, and psychosomatic symptoms in Israel. A cross-sectional study was carried out using questionnaires administered to 7166 students aged 11-17 (4223 secular; 2943 religious). Cyber-bullying was more common among secular students (11.4%) than religious students (8.4%). Multiple logistic regression predicting cyber-bullying showed significant results for boys, primary school age, Internet usage, bad moods, sleeping disorders, and dizziness. A comparison across school levels and between the education sectors did not show major differences in the probability to experience bullying. However, different characteristics played the role in explaining propensity to that experience. These findings can help to plan school-level oriented intervention programs to educate adolescents on prudent use of the Internet to combat the spread of cyber-bullying.

Cyberbullying and depression among Chinese college students: A moderated mediation model of social anxiety and neuroticism

BACKGROUND

Cyberbullying is a serious social issue that can cause a number of psychological and behavioral problems for perpetrators and victims. Previous studies have shown that adolescent victims of cyberbullying are more likely to exhibit depressive symptoms. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between the perpetration of cyberbullying and depression, or the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relationship.

METHODS

A questionnaire survey was conducted among 476 college students to investigate the relationships between cyberbullying perpetration and depression, the mediating role of social anxiety, and the moderating role of neuroticism.

RESULTS

The results showed that cyberbullying perpetration had a significant and positive predictive effect on depression. Social anxiety partially mediated this relationship. The direct predictive effect of cyberbullying perpetration on depression, and the relation between social anxiety and depression, were both moderated by neuroticism. Cyberbullying perpetration had a greater impact on depression for college students with lower levels of neuroticism and the predictive function of social anxiety on depression was stronger for individuals with low levels of neuroticism too. But neuroticism did not moderate the association between cyberbullying perpetration and social anxiety.

LIMITATIONS

This study focused only on the individual variables influencing the relationship between cyberbullying perpetration and depression, and did not examine interpersonal or environmental variables. Also, the cross-sectional research design means that causality cannot be deduced from the results.

CONCLUSIONS

Cyberbullying perpetration can predict depression directly, and also indirectly via the mediating role of social anxiety. Neuroticism moderates the relation both between cyberbullying and depression, and between social anxiety and depression. These findings provide new perspectives for the treatment and prevention of depression among college students.