School Belongingness as a Mediator in the Relationship Between Self-Reported PTSD and Cyber Victimization: Sex Differences

Ergin D. A., AKGÜL G.

Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, cilt.211, sa.10, ss.772-778, 2023 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 211 Sayı: 10
  • Basım Tarihi: 2023
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1097/nmd.0000000000001699
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Abstracts in Social Gerontology, ATLA Religion Database, BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, CINAHL, Educational research abstracts (ERA), MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Psycinfo, Violence & Abuse Abstracts
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.772-778
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: adolescent, cyber victimization, Posttraumatic stress disorder, school belongingness
  • Ankara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Traumatized adolescents might cope with maladaptive strategies such as increased Internet usage, which might be a risk for cyber victimization. We investigated the relationship between self-reported PTSD and cyber victimization and the mediator role of school belongingness in this relationship. The sample consisted of 292 adolescents ages 11-14 years old (M = 12.53, SD = 0.71; nfemale = 165, 56.1%; nmale = 129, 43.9%). Results show that males are more likely to be cyber victims and have lower levels of school belongingness than females. In addition, results supported the association between higher levels of PTSD and higher levels of cyber victimization. Traumatized adolescents with high levels of school belongingness are less likely to be cyber victims. These findings highlight the importance of school-related personal and relational characteristics in promoting adolescent mental health.