The Influence of Cyberbullying on Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior in a Psychiatric Adolescent Sample

Abstract

Cyberbullying is a well-established risk factor for suicidal thoughts and behavior in adolescents. However, research examining the differential influence of different forms of cyberbullying on suicidality is limited. This exploratory study investigated the association between cyberbullying and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors separately. Specifically, the study sought to examine how being the subject of online rumors, illicit photographs, and threatening messages related to nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), suicidal ideation (SI), and suicide attempt (SA) history in an adolescent psychiatric sample (n = 64). The findings demonstrated that endorsement of any form of cyberbullying was significantly associated with NSSI. Further, victims of online rumors were over fifteen times more likely to engage in NSSI, and all participants who reported involvement in illicit photographs endorsed NSSI. Additionally, participants who endorsed involvement in an online rumor were nearly seventeen times more likely to report SA history. The forms of cyberbullying assessed were not significantly associated with SI.

Keywords:

• Cyberbullying
• suicide
• youth

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

David A. Jobes would like to disclose the following potential conflicts: grant funding for clinical trial research from the National Institute of Mental Health; book royalties from American Psychological Association Press and Guilford Press; co-owner of CAMS-care, LLC (a clinical training/consulting company).

AUTHOR NOTES

Elizabeth C. Lanzillo, Department of Psychology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., USA.

Irene Zhang, Department of Psychology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., USA.

David A. Jobes, Department of Psychology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., USA.

Amy M. Brausch, Department of Psychological Sciences, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, USA.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Office of Research and Creative Activity at Western Kentucky University.