Cyberbullying and Cyber victimization: examining mediating roles of Empathy and Resilience

Abstract

Cyberbullying has a profound negative impact on the psychological health of individuals. This study examined the mediating effects of empathy and resilience in the relationship between cyberbullying and cyber victimization. Data were collected from 506 undergraduate students (53,7% female and 46,3% male) with a mean of 20.57 years (SD = 1.72). Cyberbullying and Victimization Scale (CVS), Brief resilience scale (BRS), and Toronto Empathy Scale (TES) were utilized to collect the data cross-sectionally. Results showed that cyberbullying had a significant direct effect on cyber victimization, resilience, and empathy. Resilience and empathy also had significant effects on cyber victimization. Mediation analysis indicated that resilience and empathy mediated the relationship between cyberbullying and cyber victimization. These results improve our understanding of the underlying mechanism between cyberbullying and cyber victimization by considering the roles of psychological resources. Prevention and intervention programs can be tailored to cultivate resilience and empathy to mitigate the impact of cyberbullying on cyber victimization.