Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia
Vol. 25, No. 2

Cyberbullying Victimization as a Predictor of Depressive Symptoms among Selected Adolescents amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Maria Michael, Jeyaseelan (Unknown)
Reyes, Marc Eric (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Dec 2021

Abstract

Cyberbullying victimization has become a significant mental health concern, particularly among adolescents at risk of experiencing negative consequences like depression. As the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic forced everyone to stay at home and participate in all their educational, recreational, and entertainment activities online, this study investigated the relationship between cyberbullying victimization (CV) and depressive symptoms among 612 college students in Tamilnadu, India. We hypothesized that experiences of cyberbullying victimization would predict depressive symptoms among the participants. Adolescent participants aged 18 to 19 years old from colleges in Tamilnadu completed an online survey composed of the Cybervictimization questionnaire for adolescents (CYVIC) and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Results obtained show a very strong positive relationship between cyberbullying victimization and depression, with CV being a very strong predictor in the relationship. Moreover, impersonation, written-verbal cyber victimization, visual-teasing/happy slapping, and online exclusion contributing highly to the strong positive relationship between the variables. These findings can be a foundation for intervention programs to alleviate depressive symptoms by addressing CV experiences and focus on further research on the negative consequences of cyberbullying victimization among adolescents.

Copyrights © 2021






Journal Info

Abbrev

publication:hubsasia

Publisher

Subject

Description

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia or Makara Hubs-Asia is a regional journal that seeks to advance understanding of human behavior in the context of Asia through the publication of empirical research articles that may stimulate further research. The word Makara symbolizes the emblem of the ...