Cyberbullying victimisation and mental distress: testing the moderating role of attachment security, social support, and coping styles

ABSTRACT

Although it has been well established that cyberbullying leads to mental health problems, less is known about the factors that confer resilience to the adverse effects of cyberbullying among young people. To address this gap, adolescents aged 13–19 years (n = 476) completed a survey measuring cyberbullying victimisation, attachment styles, perceived social support, coping styles, and mental distress. Compared to non-victims, victims of cyberbullying experienced higher levels of depression and anxiety and endorsed more self-statements indicative of attachment anxiety. Peer support, security in attachment relationships, and the endorsement of positive coping strategies attenuated the positive relationship between cyberbullying victimisation and mental health difficulties. Family support did not appear to buffer adolescents from mental distress in this context. However, family support was the strongest bivariate predictor of reduced mental distress. Although peer relations should be the target of intervention programmes within school settings, the findings highlight the importance of including families in cyberbullying prevention programmes.

KEYWORDS:

• Cyberbullying
• adolescence
• attachment style
• social support
• coping styles
• depression
• anxiety

Acknowledgments

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: RC and JCM are supported by funding from the National Institute of Health Research Collaborative Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care North West Coast (NIHR CLAHRC NWC). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the department of Health.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joanne D. Worsley

Joanne D. Worsley is a PhD researcher at the University of Liverpool, UK. Her research interests include the wider determinants of mental distress and issues of risk and resilience.

Jason C. McIntyre

Jason C. McIntyre is a lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University. He is interested in the role of social groups in mental health, student mental health, and mental health inequalities.

Rhiannon Corcoran

Rhiannon Corcoran is a professor of Psychology working at the University of Liverpool. She is interested in the psychological mechanisms that underpin mental distress and the wider determinants of mental health and wellbeing. In particular she is keen to determine how we can address these matters through policy.