The Association Between Childhood Trauma and Adolescent Cyberbullying: Chain Mediating Roles of Emotional Intelligence and Online Social Anxiety

Overview

Journal Front Psychiatry

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2023 Jun 16

PMID 37324819

Authors

Guanghai Cao

Xinyu Wei

Juan Liu

Xianyin Li

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: This study explored the impact of childhood trauma on adolescent cyberbullying and the mediating roles of emotional intelligence and online social anxiety between them.

Methods: The Childhood Trauma Scale, Emotional Intelligence Scale, and Chinese Brief Version of the Social Media User Social Anxiety Scale and Cyber Bullying Scale were used to assess 1,046 adolescents [boys: 297, girls: 749, average age = 15.79 years] from four schools in Shandong Province, China. SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 24.0 were used for statistical analysis.

Results: (1) Childhood trauma was positively associated with adolescents' cyberbullying; (2) Emotional intelligence and online social anxiety played partial mediating roles in the relationship between childhood trauma and cyberbullying; (3) Emotional intelligence and online social anxiety played a chain mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and cyberbullying.

Conclusion: This study reveals the relationship and mediating mechanisms between childhood trauma and cyberbullying. It provides implications for the theory and prevention of cyberbullying.

Citing Articles

How childhood psychological abuse affects adolescent cyberbullying: The chain mediating role of self-efficacy and psychological resilience.

Ying H, Han Y PLoS One. 2024; 19(9):e0309959.

PMID: 39250436 PMC: 11383216. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0309959.

Need Action for No Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence on Physical Activity Among Undergraduates in Colombo District.

Wijerathne T, Sari D, Liyanage T, Kumaranayake R, Adithya D J Multidiscip Healthc. 2023; 16:3933-3940.

PMID: 38093781 PMC: 10716012. DOI: 10.2147/JMDH.S428677.

References

Lemenager T, Hoffmann S, Dieter J, Reinhard I, Mann K, Kiefer F . The links between healthy, problematic, and addicted Internet use regarding comorbidities and self-concept-related characteristics. J Behav Addict. 2018; 7(1):31-43. PMC: 6035020. DOI: 10.1556/2006.7.2018.13. View

Wang S, Zhao Y, Wang X, Yang X, Cheng B, Pan N . Emotional intelligence mediates the association between middle temporal gyrus gray matter volume and social anxiety in late adolescence. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2020; 30(12):1857-1869. DOI: 10.1007/s00787-020-01651-z. View

Sanders B . The measurement of psychological maltreatment: early data on the Child Abuse and Trauma Scale. Child Abuse Negl. 1995; 19(3):315-23. DOI: 10.1016/s0145-2134(94)00131-6. View

Zhang Q, Meng Y, Wu L, Yao R, Fu L . [Association of aggressive behavior with separation from parents and social anxiety in grade four to six of rural senior primary school students in Anhui Province in 2014]. Wei Sheng Yan Jiu. 2018; 47(2):206-217. View

Goldin P, Gross J . Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on emotion regulation in social anxiety disorder. Emotion. 2010; 10(1):83-91. PMC: 4203918. DOI: 10.1037/a0018441. View

Martinez-Monteagudo M, Delgado B, Garcia-Fernandez J, Ruiz-Esteban C . Cyberbullying in the University Setting. Relationship With Emotional Problems and Adaptation to the University. Front Psychol. 2020; 10:3074. PMC: 6985462. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03074. View

Gamez-Guadix M, Borrajo E, Almendros C . Risky online behaviors among adolescents: Longitudinal relations among problematic Internet use, cyberbullying perpetration, and meeting strangers online. J Behav Addict. 2017; 5(1):100-107. PMC: 5322986. DOI: 10.1556/2006.5.2016.013. View

Bowes L, Arseneault L, Maughan B, Taylor A, Caspi A, Moffitt T . School, neighborhood, and family factors are associated with children's bullying involvement: a nationally representative longitudinal study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2009; 48(5):545-553. PMC: 4231780. DOI: 10.1097/CHI.0b013e31819cb017. View

Smith P, Mahdavi J, Carvalho M, Fisher S, Russell S, Tippett N . Cyberbullying: its nature and impact in secondary school pupils. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2008; 49(4):376-85. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01846.x. View

10.

Kircaburun K, Jonason P, Griffiths M, Aslanargun E, Emirtekin E, Tosuntas S . Childhood Emotional Abuse and Cyberbullying Perpetration: The Role of Dark Personality Traits. J Interpers Violence. 2019; 36(21-22):NP11877-NP11893. DOI: 10.1177/0886260519889930. View

11.

Shipman K, Zeman J . Emotional understanding: a comparison of physically maltreating and nonmaltreating mother-child dyads. J Clin Child Psychol. 1999; 28(3):407-17. DOI: 10.1207/S15374424jccp280313. View

12.

Bandelow B, Charimo Torrente A, Wedekind D, Broocks A, Hajak G, Ruther E . Early traumatic life events, parental rearing styles, family history of mental disorders, and birth risk factors in patients with social anxiety disorder. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2004; 254(6):397-405. DOI: 10.1007/s00406-004-0521-2. View

13.

Weiss N, Sullivan T, Tull M . Explicating the role of emotion dysregulation in risky behaviors: A review and synthesis of the literature with directions for future research and clinical practice. Curr Opin Psychol. 2015; 3:22-29. PMC: 4332392. DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.01.013. View

14.

Springer K, Sheridan J, Kuo D, Carnes M . Long-term physical and mental health consequences of childhood physical abuse: results from a large population-based sample of men and women. Child Abuse Negl. 2007; 31(5):517-30. PMC: 3031095. DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2007.01.003. View

15.

Elipe P, Mora-Merchan J, Ortega-Ruiz R, Casas J . Perceived emotional intelligence as a moderator variable between cybervictimization and its emotional impact. Front Psychol. 2015; 6:486. PMC: 4407507. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00486. View

16.

Wang G, Fang Y, Jiang L, Zhou G, Yuan S, Wang X . [Relationship between cyberbullying and the suicide related psychological behavior among middle and high school students in Anhui Province]. Wei Sheng Yan Jiu. 2016; 44(6):896-903. View

17.

Casas J, Ortega-Ruiz R, Del Rey R . Bullying: The impact of teacher management and trait emotional intelligence. Br J Educ Psychol. 2015; 85(3):407-23. DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12082. View

18.

Schimmenti A, Passanisi A, Caretti V, La Marca L, Granieri A, Iacolino C . Traumatic experiences, alexithymia, and Internet addiction symptoms among late adolescents: A moderated mediation analysis. Addict Behav. 2015; 64:314-320. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.11.002. View

19.

Menesini E, Modena M, Tani F . Bullying and victimization in adolescence: concurrent and stable roles and psychological health symptoms. J Genet Psychol. 2009; 170(2):115-33. DOI: 10.3200/GNTP.170.2.115-134. View

20.

Liu C, Liu Z, Yuan G . The longitudinal influence of cyberbullying victimization on depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms: The mediation role of rumination. Arch Psychiatr Nurs. 2020; 34(4):206-210. DOI: 10.1016/j.apnu.2020.05.002. View