Bullying Victimization and Cyber Delinquency Among Adolescents From Multicultural Families in South Korea: Testing the Mediating Role of Negative Emotions and Cumulative Exposure Effects

This study examines whether verbal bullying victimization is prospectively associated with cyber delinquency among adolescents from multicultural families in South Korea, focusing on negative emotional mediation and cumulative exposure. Drawing on General Strain Theory, we analyze five waves of nationally representative longitudinal panel data from the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study ( N = 2,074, 2019–2023). Verbal bullying victimization was associated with higher levels of later cyber delinquency, and mediation analyses indicated a significant indirect pathway through depression, but not anger, after accounting for prior cyber delinquency. Cumulative exposure to verbal bullying across three or more waves remained significantly associated with subsequent cyber delinquency after adjustment for prior cyber delinquency. These findings extend General Strain Theory to digital behavioral outcomes and underscore the cascading risks of repeated strain among adolescents from multicultural families.