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

Worsley, JD, McIntyre, JC ORCID: 0000-0002-5601-524X and Corcoran, R ORCID: 0000-0001-8900-9199 (2019) Cyberbullying victimisation and mental distress: testing the moderating role of attachment security, social support, and coping styles Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 24 (1). pp. 20-35. ISSN 1363-2752, 1741-2692

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Abstract

© 2018, © 2018 SEBDA. 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.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Cyberbullying, adolescence, attachment style, social support, coping styles, depression, anxiety
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	19 Jun 2019 08:08
Last Modified:	22 May 2026 21:42
DOI:	10.1080/13632752.2018.1530497
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3046422
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