Cyberbullying victimization is closely associated with executive function in university students; however, its underlying mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal relationship between cyberbullying victimization and executive function, with a particular focus on the mediating role of anxiety and the moderating role of physical activity. A two-wave longitudinal survey was conducted among 1,928 Chinese university students. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess cyberbullying victimization, executive function, anxiety, and physical activity. Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and moderated mediation models were employed to examine the relationships among variables. Cyberbullying victimization at T1 significantly and negatively predicted executive function at T2. Anxiety at T1 mediated this relationship, indicating that cyberbullying victimization increased anxiety, which in turn impaired executive function. Moreover, physical activity at T1 moderated the direct association between T1 cyberbullying victimization and T2 executive function. This study demonstrates that cyberbullying victimization impairs executive function through both direct and indirect (anxiety-mediated) longitudinal pathways. Crucially, the findings revealing that the cognitive dividends of physical activity are highly vulnerable to severe psychosocial stress. These results provide critical practical insights: while promoting physical activity is vital for baseline cognitive health, it cannot serve as an impenetrable shield. Effective campus interventions must fundamentally prioritize strict cyberbullying prevention and targeted anxiety management to safeguard university students’ cognitive development.
Jia et al. (Thu,) studied this question.