Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, cilt.59, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
Objective: The current study aimed to examine the mediating role of smartphone addiction on the effect of self-esteem on the levels of cyber dating abuse among university students. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the study group consisted of 393 university students between the ages of 17–25 (50.12 % female, 49.88 % male). The Cyber Dating Abuse Scale (CDAS), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and Smartphone Addiction Scale (SPAS) were used as data collection tools. Data analysis included mediation analysis and multiple regression modelling to identify factors predicting levels of cyber dating abuse when demographic/psychosocial variables were controlled. Results: Findings revealed a significant negative relationship between low self-esteem and high cyber dating abuse (r = −0.518, p < .05). Mediation analysis showed that smartphone addiction plays a full mediating role in this relationship. In the multiple regression analysis, smartphone addiction, self-esteem, perpetrator status, gender, and age were identified as significant predictors of cyber dating abuse, and these variables accounted for 20 % of the variance in cyber dating abuse victimisation (R2 = 0.202, F (23,348)). Conclusion: This study revealed that self-esteem indirectly affects cyber dating abuse levels in university students through smartphone addiction. Our findings suggest that smartphone addiction, self-esteem, abuse status, gender and age are important predictors of cyber dating abuse. Psychoeducational programmes aimed at strengthening self-esteem and interventions that promote conscious smartphone use may be effective in reducing the risk of cyber dating abuse among university students. In addition, awareness-raising trainings and supportive environments should be created in universities about cyber dating abuse.