Cyberbullying victimisation (CV) is a significant stressor linked to youth mental health outcomes, including both internalising (e.g., depression, anxiety) and externalising (e.g., aggression, delinquency) problems. While previous studies have identified various mediators spanning affective, cognitive, and social domains, few studies have simultaneously examined these pathways within an integrated model in a longitudinal design.
Purpose: Guided by General Strain Theory, this study investigates whether specific Affective, Cognitive, and Social Mechanisms serve as mediators linking CV to later internalising and externalising problems.
Methods: A total of 555 Chinese adolescents (aged between 14-18, 53.3% girls) participated in a two-wave longitudinal study with 6-month intervals. In both waves, participants completed a self-reported survey via Qualtrics, which assessed CV (the Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire), and internalising and externalising problems (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), and several potential mediators: emotion dysregulation (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale), self-esteem (Self-esteem Questionnaire), loneliness (Revised-UCLA Loneliness Scale), peer and parental relationships (the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment). Structural equation modelling was used to test mediation effects, controlling for demographic factors and traditional bullying victimisation.
Results: Path analysis revealed that CV at time 1 was significantly associated with both internalising and externalising problems at time 2. Loneliness and emotion dysregulation at time 2 emerged as significant shared mediators of CV and both internalising and externalising problems, whereas low self-esteem and parental and peer relationships at time 2 were not significant mediators for both internalising and externalising symptoms.
Conclusions: These findings highlight the particularly important roles of loneliness and emotion dysregulation as mechanisms linking CV to broad mental health problems. Interventions should be multi-component, targeting these shared vulnerabilities through strategies addressing social isolation and emotion regulation skills, while also incorporating outcome-specific approaches for comprehensive prevention and treatment.