Cyberbullying Victimisation and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Symptoms: Resilience as a Protective Factor

Abstract

As digital communication develops rapidly, cyberbullying has become a greater threat to psychological well-being, especially of young people. The present study examines the effects of cyberbullying victimisation on symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 561 young adults aged between 18 and 30 years old from public and private higher education institutions in Malaysia. Participants completed the Cyberbullying Experiences Survey, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, and a Brief Resilience Scale. The study found that 73% of participants experienced at least one type of cyberbullying within a year. The most common type of cyberbullying was public humiliation (54%), followed by malice (47%), unwelcome contact (42%) and deception (41%). The multiple regression analyses indicated that cyberbullying victimisation was a significant positive predictor of stress (β = .208, p <.01), anxiety (β = .215, p <.001), and depression (β = .174, p <.01), while resilience was a significant negative predictor of all three psychological outcomes (βs = −.242 to −.266). The interaction analyses revealed that resilience significantly attenuated the association between cyberbullying victimisation and depression (β = .084, p < .05). However, the interaction effects for anxiety and stress were not statistically significant. Results suggest that resilience had small but significant buffering effects on depressive symptoms. The findings suggest programmes to promote mental health and prevent cyberbullying on campus to create safer and more inclusive digital spaces. Keywords: Cyberbullying victimisation, adverse online experiences, depression, anxiety, social media.