Geng J, Bao L, Wang H, Wang J, Wei X, Lei L. The relationship between childhood maltreatment and adolescents' cyberbullying victimization: The new phenomenon of a "cycle of victimization".
CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2022;
134:105888. [PMID:
36152532 DOI:
10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105888]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
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.
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