The Association Between Bullying Victimization and Problematic Internet Use: The Role of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies

AbstractGuided by the compensatory Internet use theory, this cross-sectional study examined the relationship between bullying victimization (i.e., overall, traditional, and cyberbullying victimization) and problematic Internet use (PIU) among 1,141 Chinese adolescents. The study also examined the moderating roles of five core social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies (i.e., responsible decision-making, social awareness, relationship skills, self-management, and self-awareness) between bullying victimization and PIU. Results of structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that more frequent traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimization were associated with a higher frequency of PIU symptoms. Overall, SEL competencies were protective factors against PIU. Moreover, the positive association between traditional bullying victimization and PIU was intensified among students with higher levels of overall SEL competencies, social awareness, relationship skills, and self-awareness. The significant and positive association between cyberbullying victimization and PIU was not moderated by any of the five core SEL competencies. This implies that students with high SEL competencies generally experienced less bullying victimization and PIU. However, once they experienced bullying, they were more vulnerable to have PIU. Implications for school-based bullying intervention and PIU prevention were also discussed.Impact StatementThe study demonstrated that traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimization place students at a higher risk of PIU. Overall, SEL competencies were protective factors against PIU. However, higher levels of overall SEL competencies, social awareness, relationship skills, and self-awareness intensified the positive relationship between traditional bullying victimization and PIU. This implies that students with high SEL competencies generally experienced less bullying victimization. However, once they experienced bullying, they were more vulnerable to PIU.Keywords: structural equation modelinginternational school psychologysocial competencebullyingASSOCIATE EDITOR: Tamika La Salle-Finley Additional informationNotes on contributorsChun ChenChun Chen, PhD, NCSP, is an assistant professor in the Department of Applied Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Science at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen. Her research interests focus on school climate, bullying victimization, cross-cultural differences, and social-emotional learning competencies.Chunyan YangChunyan Yang, PhD, is an associate professor of school psychology in the College of Education, University of Maryland, College Park and was previously in the Berkeley School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research interests focus on understanding how school members (e.g., students, teachers, parents) interact with their living contexts (e.g., school, family, community, culture) to find their resilience in face of a variety of risk factors in school settings, such as bullying, teacher-targeted violence and mental health challenges.Qian NieQian Nie, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher at Southwest University in China and also a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley (2019–2020). Her research interests focus on the longitudinal influence of school climate on academic achievement, mental health outcomes, psychological suzhi and bullying.Zhaojun TengZhaojun Teng, PhD, is a professor in the Faculty of Psychology at Southwest University in China. His general research interests are video game use and adolescents’ behavioral outcomes, and his specific research interests are violent video game effects on adolescents’ aggression, bullying, and cyberbullying.