The moderating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and cyberbullying perpetration

• Main Author: Macuja, Sarah Jane B.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2024
• Subjects: Cyberbullying; Clinical Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdm_psych/70
• Institution: De La Salle University

Cyberbullying, a prevalent social issue affecting individuals across diverse age groups, genders, and social backgrounds, poses a significant concern as victims may transition into perpetrators. Grounded in the General Aggression Model, this study focuses on the dynamics of cyberbullying victimization and cyberbullying perpetration among Filipino young adults aged 18-24, with a particular emphasis on the moderating influence of cognitive emotion regulation strategies. The study, with 454 participants, reveals a robust positive association between victimization and perpetration, suggesting a possible bidirectional relationship. The study identifies low prevalence rates of cyberbullying, possibly due to factors like higher education levels and evolving online behaviors in the included sample population. Moreover, it highlights the moderating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies in influencing cyberbullying behaviors. Contrary to expectations, maladaptive coping strategies weakened the positive relationship between victimization and perpetration, while adaptive strategies showed no significant impact. More in-depth analysis of the individual maladaptive and adaptive coping strategies showed that catastrophizing tendencies amplify the link between victimization and perpetration, while positive refocusing, refocus on planning, other-blame, self-blame, and rumination weaken it. The study’s findings emphasize the importance of addressing maladaptive coping strategies, despite the possible buffering effect they may have on cyberbullying perpetration due to the detrimental impact they may still bring to the victim. It also suggests promoting adaptive coping skills such as positive refocusing and refocus on planning to foster resilience and mitigate the negative impact of cyberbullying.