Longitudinal Associations Between Cyberbullying Victimization and Cognitive and Affective Components of Subjective Well-Being in Adolescents: A Network Analysis

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a notable increase in studies aimed at investigating the relationships between cyberbullying and subjective well-being (SWB) among adolescent populations. Nonetheless, the existing literature on this topic remains relatively sparse. Consequently, this study aims to explore the prospective associations of these constructs through the application of psychometric network analysis. Two cross-lagged network analyses were conducted (Wave 1 and Wave 2), alongside a longitudinal network analysis, encompassing 888 students aged 12 to 16 years (M = 12.61; SD = 1.79) from five secondary educational institutions. The results from both cross-lagged networks at both time points revealed significant associations among overall life satisfaction (OLS) and the various domains of life satisfaction, thereby reinforcing the central role of OLS within the network architecture of adolescent well-being. Regarding the affective component of SWB, “happy” emerged as the affect demonstrating the highest level of influence and impact at both time points. Additionally, a robust temporal consistency of the network structure was observed. In the longitudinal network analysis, the trajectories of the variables across time indicated that forms of cyberbullying, specifically “exclusion” and “harassment,” were prospectively and negatively related to “satisfaction with friends” and “satisfaction with body image.” The results of these findings are discussed in terms of their practical implications for the prevention and intervention of cyberbullying in adolescent population.