Coping strategies, stigmatizing attitude, and cyberbullying among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 lockdown

Abstract

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic provides hotbed for hatred and violence, which could be especially true among college students, the most active users of internet and social media. Based on a national sample of Chinese college students ( N = 1,673), the present study aims to explore the clustered nature of stress coping strategies, as well as its associations with the participants’ stigmatizing attitude and cyberbullying behaviors towards people in Hubei Province, the place where the first COVID-19 case was reported and recognized as China’s epicenter of the pandemic. Four latent subgroups were first identified among the participants based on type and comparative adoption rate of their coping strategies, namely the emotional coping group, the inactive coping group, the support-seeking and positive coping group, and the independent and positive coping group. The significant associations between coping strategy patterns and stigmatizing attitude and cyberbullying behaviors were reported, respectively. The two were most likely to happen among the participants using emotional coping while the least likely among the independent and positive coping group. This study provides empirical supports for combating the secondary disasters of the pandemic, namely stigma and cyberbullying, by identifying the role of emotional and positive coping strategies.

Concern on cyber violence and suicide during COVID-19 pandemic

“…It can be seen that the intervention of suicidal behavior lacks timeliness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the incidence of cyber violence and suicide has increased, respectively ( 17 , 18 ). It is hoped that concerted efforts will be made to prevent the occurrence of adverse events related to cyber violence.…”

Mental and physical conditions associated with physical inactivity among Farhangian University students during virtual classes: A cross-sectional study

“…Industrial development, upsetting situation of COVID-19, holding of virtual classes, and life mechanization have created major effects on individuals’ lifestyles and have brought sedentary lifestyles to societies ( Nayak et al, 2022 ). This inactivity in students, as the active class of future society, can cause structural and strategic problems for any country ( Yang et al, 2022 ). Therefore, inactivity should be considered as a serious major problem for the future of the country ( Montero-Simó et al, 2022 ).…”

Statistical and clustering validation analysis of primary students' learning outcomes and self-awareness of information and technical online security problems at a post-pandemic time

“…Warning signs of Internet addiction include regular network consumption at the expense of other interests, signs of aggression if access to the Internet global network proves impossible and not caring about relations with one's family or friends (Kisiel & Woźnialis, 2021). Other problems also could be associated with conditions or students' behaviors that involve excessive or problematic use of the Internet, namely, an unprecedented rise in screen time, self-efficiency, mental health and crisis, hikikomori (Ferrara et al, 2020) coping with stress, digital fatigue, grooming (Pisarska & Ostaszewski, 2020;Saggers, 2020), gambling (Donati et al, 2021;Gjoneska et al, 2022;(Serra et al, 2021), cyberbullying (Yang et al, 2022), cyberstalking (Dhillon & Smith, 2017), cyberscams (Whitty, 2020) and numerous other consequences and e-threats of Internet-related post-pandemic education (Tomczyk & Walker, 2021;Lazarinis et al, 2019;Rothe et al, 2021;Zuo et al, 2021).…”