Cyberbullying Victimization and Depressive Symptoms Among Hispanic College Students: The Mediating Roles of Self-Esteem, a Sense of Purpose, and Religious Beliefs

Background and Purpose

Since social media networks have become essential tools for interacting with others or for informative and educational purposes among college students, cyberbullying has increased. Despite a rapidly growing number of Hispanic college students, there is a lack of studies examining Hispanic college students’ cyberbullying experiences. By applying the stress and coping theory, this study examined whether self-esteem, a sense of purpose, and religious beliefs have indirect effects between cyberbullying victimization and levels of depressive symptoms among Hispanic college students.

Methods

Data were collected at two midwestern and south-central United States universities during fall 2021 by using a cross-sectional study with an online survey. A total 174 college students included in the final analysis were 18-24 years olde or older and 76.4% were females. It is hypothesized that (a) Hispanic college students who experienced cyberbullying victimization have higher levels of depressive symptoms (direct effect); and (b) Hispanic college students who experienced cyberbullying victimization have lower levels of self-esteem, lower levels of a sense of purpose in life, and are less likely to engage in religious beliefs, which would be associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms (indirect effect). PROCESS macro Version 4.1 in SPSS 27 was used to test the direct and indirect associations of cyberbullying victimization on depressive symptoms mediated by self-esteem, a sense of purpose in life, and religious beliefs, after controlling age and biological sex.

Results

After controlling for all covariables, cyberbullying victimization was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms (C’: β = .08, ns), a sense of purpose (a2: β = -.05, ns), or religious beliefs (a3: β = .03, ns), while cyberbullying victimization was significantly associated with self-esteem (a1: β = -.14, p < .05). Self-esteem was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (b1: β = -1.13, p < .001) and a sense of purpose in life was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (b2: β = -.40, p < .01), but religious beliefs was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms (b3: β = .13, ns).

Results demonstrated a significant effect of cyberbullying victimization on depressive symptoms through all of the mediators, indirect effect (ab) = .18, BCa: CI = [.00, .37]. The total effect (C = Cʹ + ab; β = 26., p < .05) includes the direct effect (Cʹ: β = .08, ns) and the indirect effect (ab: β = .18, BCa: CI = [.00, .37] after controlling for all covariates. Self-esteem as a mediator fully explained the association between cyberbullying victimization and depressive symptoms among Hispanic college students, which indicated it was a full mediation model.

Conclusions and Implications

This study carries practice implications for college staff, faculty, administrators, and practitioners to develop culturally relevant intervention programs for Hispanic college students who have experienced cyberbullying victimization. The study finding most salient to informing practice is the role of self-esteem as mediating the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and depressive symptoms. This study supports interventions aim at strengthening Hispanic college students’ self-esteem may lessen the negative mental health impacts of cyberbullying victimization.