Cyber Aggression and Suicidal Ideation in Emerging Adults: Examining the Potential Roles of Depressive Symptoms and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

Abstract

Cyber aggression is prevalent among emerging adults and is associated with a range of mental and behavioral issues. One particularly concerning outcome is the widespread presence of suicidal ideation in this group, which poses a significant threat to their life. However, the specific impact of cyber aggression on suicidal ideation and the longitudinal mechanisms remains unclear. Hence, this study sought to address these gaps by applying the general aggression model (GAM). The investigation utilized three-wave longitudinal data with 6-month intervals from a large sample of Chinese emerging adults (N = 1568; 54.7% female; M_age = 19.70 [SD = 1.44], ranging from 17 to 26 years). The random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) was employed to explore the roles of depressive symptoms and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) between cyber aggression and suicidal ideation at both the between- and within-person levels. The findings indicated that, at the between-person level, there were trait-like associations between depressive symptoms and cyber aggression, NSSI, and suicidal ideation. At the within-person level, cyber aggression exhibited unidirectional positive cross-lagged effects on depressive symptoms and NSSI, and could subsequently indirectly lead to suicidal ideation via the contemporaneous associations from depressive symptoms and NSSI to suicidal ideation. These results not only align with GAM but also shed light on the underlying mechanisms linking cyber aggression to suicidal ideation. Also, the findings underscore the significance of maintaining a positive network environment for the well-being of all internet users even cyber aggression perpetrators.