AJHE Table of Contents
Association Between Self-Esteem and Cyber Victimization: The Mediating Roles of Digital Game Playing and Cyberbullying
Ali Eryilmaz, E. Scott Huebner, Hacer Yildirim-Kurtulus & Ahmet Kara
Technological advancements have created a new social interaction space, particularly for adolescents, allowing them to create anonymous identities and say and do things they might not feel comfortable doing in person (Ang & Goh, 2010; Arnaiz et al., 2016). A large proportion of children and adolescents uses social media and cell phones as a means to communicate and maintain interactions with each other (Kiriakidis & Kavoura, 2010). However, conducting communication through online platforms rather than face-to-face contexts can complicate interpersonal relationships (Brochado et al., 2017). For example, children and adolescents may experience bullying and victimization on these platforms. Although traditional bullying remains a significant problem among children and adolescents (Halliday et al., 2021), new forms of aggression based on information and communication technology, such as cyberbullying and online harassment, are on the rise (Nixon, 2014). A significant number of children and adolescents are exposed to cyberbullying (Kowalski & Limber, 2007), which often leads to cyber victimization.
Cyber victimization has been linked to suicidal ideation and attempts in children and adolescents, academic problems (e.g., concentration difficulties, academic failure, and absenteeism), online aggression, behavioral disorders, depression, and other psychological problems that hinder their healthy development (Tran et al., 2023; Zhou et al., 2023). In this context, depression and mental health problems are emerging as a chronic and common condition for adolescents. Such cyber victimization during adolescence can contribute to the development of depression as well as anxiety disorders, low self-esteem, and other serious mental health problems (Núñez et al., 2021). Chronic depression can also severely impact adolescents’ daily functioning and leave lasting effects on mental health in the long term (Thapar et al., 2012). Examining the factors that lead to cyber victimization can help in both prevention and intervention efforts. This study aimed to identify factors that contribute to the development of cyber victimization in early adolescents, specifically the roles of self-esteem, digital game playing, and cyberbullying.
To read the rest of this article, click here to download a pdf.