Cyberbullying Victimization and a Sense of Purpose in Life Among College Students: A Mediation Model of Self-Esteem and Depressive Symptoms

This study examined the association between cyberbullying victimization and a sense of purpose in the life of college students, focusing on the mediating roles of self-esteem and depressive symptoms. A total of 251 students who had experienced bullying victimization and current cyberbullying victimization were analyzed. Our analysis showed that the direct association between cyberbullying victimization and a sense of purpose in life was not significant. However, self-esteem and depressive symptoms presented a mediated role in the study model. Moreover, the indirect association between cyberbullying victimization and a sense of purpose in life via the sequence of mediators was significant. The findings highlight future research direction and practice implications to deal with cyberbullying victimization in college settings.