The effect of cyberbullying perpetration on depression in adolescents in western China: the mediating roles of self control and internet gaming addiction and the moderating role of meaning in life

Background This study amid to explore the relationship between cyberbullying perpetration and depression among adolescents in a western city of China. And verify the mediating role of self-control and Internet gaming addiction and the moderating role of meaning in life. Methods A total of 8,209 adolescents were recruited through random sampling and cluster random sampling. Analyze the correlations among cyberbullying perpetration, self-control, Internet gaming addiction, meaning in life and depression. Mediation analyses were conducted to assess direct and indirect effects of cyberbullying perpetration on depression via self-control and Internet gaming addiction. Moderation analysis examined the direction of the moderating effect of meaning in life on the relationship between cyberbullying perpetration and self-control. Results (1) There was a significant correlation between cyberbullying perpetration, self-control, Internet gaming addiction, meaning in life and depression. (2) Self-control and Internet gaming addiction played a significant partial mediating role in the relationship between cyberbullying perpetration and depression. The mediating effect consists of three indirect effects: Cyberbullying perpetration → self-control → depression (the mediating effect value is 0.159, p 0.001), Cyberbullying perpetration → Internet gaming addiction → depression (the mediating effect value is 0.18, p 0.001), and Cyberbullying perpetration → self-control → Internet gaming addiction → depression (the mediating effect value is 0.029, p 0.001). (3) The interaction between cyberbullying perpetration and self-control was significant ( β = −0.023, 95%CI −0.03 to −0.015, p 0.01). Meaning in life plays a moderating role between cyberbullying perpetration and self-control. The stronger the meaning in life, the more obvious the negative effect of cyberbullying perpetration on self-control. Conclusion (1) The research results indicate that cyberbullying perpetration is associated with higher symptoms of depression in adolescents. This association can occur directly or indirectly through reduced self-control and increased addiction to Internet gaming. (2) Adolescents with a stronger sense of meaning in life show a more pronounced decline in self-control after engaging in cyberbullying.