Cyberbullying roles and psychosocial dynamics: a latent profile analysis of loneliness, resilience, and self-regulation in adolescents

Abstract

Participation in cyberbullying roles is associated with distinct psychosocial profiles and may contribute to adverse mental health outcomes. Despite its importance, research has yet to fully explore the latent profiles associated with cyberbullying roles and their interplay with psychosocial factors among adolescents. This study explores the roles of cyberbullies, cyber victims, and cyber bystanders among adolescents, using latent profile analysis (LPA) to uncover the connections between these roles and psychosocial variables, including loneliness, resilience, and self-regulation. The study involved 394 adolescents, including 246 women and 148 men, with an average age of 15.8 years (SD = 1.04). The LPA revealed three profiles: low-risk, moderate-risk, and high-risk groups. The low-risk group (%64.1), characterized by minimal involvement in cyberbullying roles, had the highest levels of resilience and self-regulation and the lowest levels of loneliness. In contrast, those in the moderate-risk group (%27.8) showed moderate involvement in all cyberbullying roles, the highest levels of loneliness, and the lowest levels of resilience and self-regulation. The high-risk group (%8.2) demonstrated significant engagement across all cyberbullying roles and moderate levels of loneliness, resilience, and self-regulation. These findings underscore the protective role of resilience and self-regulation against cyberbullying, with loneliness as a potential risk factor, particularly for the moderate-risk group. In addition to highlighting the need for interventions that enhance resilience and self-regulation to prevent cyberbullying, the present study suggests that further research into the role of loneliness in cyberbullying profiles could provide valuable insights, inspiring future studies and furthering our understanding of this multifaceted issue.