Cyberbullying is a prevalent social problem that significantly influences adolescents' psychological and emotional health. Victims often experience isolation and weakened school connection, reducing opportunities for social support and increasing vulnerability to depression. To clarify these relationships, this study employed a longitudinal design with two waves of data collection six months apart, involving 622 high school students. Participants completed the Cyberbullying Victimization Scale, the School Connection Scale, and the Depression Scale. Using cross-lagged analysis, we examined the longitudinal associations among cyberbullying victimization, school connection, and depression.


Findings showed that cyberbullying victimization at T1 negatively predicted school connection and positively predicted depression. Moreover, depression at T1 significantly predicted higher levels of cyberbullying victimization at T2, suggesting a bidirectional cycle between victimization and depressive symptoms. School connection and depression also demonstrated reciprocal predictive effects, indicating that weakened school connection may increase depressive symptoms, while heightened depression may further erode students' sense of belonging. Importantly, school connection at both T1 and T2 mediated the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and depression, underscoring its protective role.


Overall, these results suggest that cyberbullying victimization not only directly increases the risk of depression but also indirectly exacerbates it through reduced school connection. Prevention and intervention efforts should therefore focus on reducing cyberbullying incidents and enhancing students' sense of connection with the school community. Strengthening school connection may serve as a buffer against the negative psychological consequences of cyberbullying and help break the vicious cycle between victimization and depression.