MEDIATING EFFECT OF CYBERBULLYING (PERPETRATION AND/OR VICTIMIZATION) ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTERNET ADDICTION AND DEPRESSION

Abstract

The relationship among Internet addiction (IA) and depression has been well-established. Few studies have attempted to explain the nature of these correlations, and none have considered at cyberbullying perpetration and/or victimization (CPV) as a possible mediating factor. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that CPV mediated the association between IA and depression symptoms. Thus, this study examined the mediating role of CPV using self-reported questionnaires in a sample of 697 university students in Turkey. The results revealed that the positive association between IA, depression and, CPV. Furthermore, findings from the mediation analysis revealed that CPV mediated the relationship between IA and depression symptoms and the hypothesized model explained approximately 24% of the variance in depression symptoms. his research enhances the understanding of how internet addiction and cyberbullying influence depressive symptoms in university students. The results draw attention to the effects of IA and CPV on the mental health of university students. The findings were discussed alongside relevant literature, and suggestions for future research were provided.