Exploring the Mediating Roles of State and Trait Anxiety on the Relationship between Middle Adolescents’ Cyberbullying and Depression

Abstract

Cyberbullying is a global problem with significant negative implications, especially among more vulnerable populations, such as adolescents. Previous research suggested that cyberbullying is significantly associated with depression, and anxiety seems to partially or fully mediate this relationship. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and the relationships between cyberbullying status (i.e., cyberbully, cyber victim, double role, or non-cyber), gender, and age. We also explored the mediating roles of state and trait anxiety on the relationship between adolescents’ cyberbullying victimization, cyber-aggressiveness, and depression. Our sample consisted of 501 middle adolescents aged from 12 to 15 years (M = 14.00; SD = 0.80; 51.1% males). The results suggested no significant associations between participants’ status, gender, or age. Mediation analyses suggested that the relationship between cyber-victimization, cyber-aggressiveness, and depression was mediated by state anxiety and not trait anxiety. We discuss the implications of the current findings in understanding cyberbullying’s psychological consequences and their relevant practical implications for prevention and intervention programs.

Perceived COVID-19 stress and online aggression among Chinese first-year college students: a moderated mediation model

“…In line with prior research (17,45), the present study found a significant positive relationship between anxiety and online aggression. This could be explained by the potential increase in online aggression as anxiety may increase an individual's propensity to process negative information and have negative processing bias when interpreting ambiguous scenes and information, which often exist in cyberspace due to the absence of context like expressions, sounds (45,46).…”

Exploring the Importance of Gender, Family Affluence, Parenting Style and Loneliness in Cyberbullying Victimization and Aggression among Romanian Adolescents

“…In 2018, a study conducted by Athanasiou et al [ 23 ] among 14–17-year-old adolescents across seven European countries, showed that the highest rate of cyber victimization was found in Romania (37.3%), and the lowest in Spain (13.3%). A previous study conducted by Grigore & Maftei [ 2 ] on 501 middle adolescents aged 12 to 15 years showed no significant associations between the participants’ status, gender, or age, but participants with higher levels of state anxiety and depression were more likely to be victims. In another study, Cucos et al [ 24 ] identified significant negative associations between intercultural sensitivity and cyber-perpetration, cybervictimization, and cyber-bystander behavior among 241 high school students, while Turliuc et al [ 25 ] identified the relationship between cyberaggression and depressive symptoms in research including 310 adolescents.…”

“…In the last decade, scientific literature continuously provided a lot of information about the consequences of the increasing use of the internet among children and young people. The more frequent use of mobile phones or the internet was associated with depression [ 2 ], self-isolation [ 3 ], anxiety [ 4 ], poor body image [ 5 , 6 ], and aggressive behaviors [ 7 ].…”

Toxic sensation seeking? Psychological distress, cyberbullying, and the moderating effect of online disinhibition among adults

“…The importance of exploring such matters is related to the increased prevalence of cyberbullying and the adverse consequences that generally involve many personal functional areas (e.g., emotional and social dimensions; Ryan & Curwen, 2013). For example, the victims often report strong negative emotions (e.g., shame, fear, sadness, helplessness, anxiety, and depression), low self‐esteem, as well as suicidal cognitions and behaviors (Grigore & Maftei, 2020; Turliuc, Măirean & Boca‐Zamfir, 2020; see Dorol‐‐Beauroy‐Eustache & Mishara (2021) for a review). Furthermore, Doumas & Midgett (2021) suggested significant associations between witnessing cyberbullying, depressive symptoms, and social anxiety.…”