Effect of Cyberbullying Exposure on Depression: Mediating Role of Self-Esteem
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55737/trt/v-iv.234Keywords:
Depression, Cyberbullying, Self-esteem, Social Media, Digital Communication, Interaction Online, Psychological SafetyAbstract
This study investigates the relationship between cyberbullying exposure and depression and examines the mediating role of self-esteem among young social media users. The rapid growth of digital communication has increased online interactions but has also intensified risks such as harassment, exclusion, threats, and abusive messaging. Data were collected from 400 respondents aged 16–30 years using a quantitative cross-sectional research design. Structured questionnaires based on a 5-point Likert scale were employed to measure cyberbullying exposure, self-esteem, and depression. Data were analyzed using SPSS through descriptive statistics, reliability, correlation, regression, and mediation analyses. The findings revealed moderate levels of cyberbullying exposure (M = 3.22, SD = 0.74), self-esteem (M = 2.96, SD = 0.68), and depression (M = 3.31, SD = 0.76). Reliability coefficients demonstrated good internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.81 to 0.88. Correlation analysis showed a significant positive relationship between cyberbullying exposure and depression (r = .58, p < .01) and significant negative relationships between cyberbullying exposure and self-esteem (r = −.46, p < .01) and between self-esteem and depression (r = −.52, p < .01). Regression analysis further confirmed that cyberbullying significantly predicted depression (β = .58, p < .001) and negatively predicted self-esteem (β = −.46, p < .001).
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