Attachment Styles and Online Self-Expression as Predictors of Cyberbullying and Cybervictimization Among Female High School Students
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Objective: To develop a structural model linking attachment styles to cyberbullying and cybervictimization among adolescent girls, with online self-expression tested as a mediator.
Methods and Materials: In a correlational design using structural equation modeling, 321 female students from secondary schools in Tehran’s District 2 (2023–24) were selected via multistage cluster sampling. Instruments included the Cyberbullying–Victimization Experiences Questionnaire, the Revised Adult Attachment Scale (secure, anxious, avoidant), and the Online Self-Expression Scale. Analyses were performed in SPSS and AMOS. Model fit was evaluated using χ²/df, RMSEA, GFI/AGFI, IFI, and CFI.
Findings: Secure, anxious, and avoidant attachment styles showed significant paths to online self-expression (secure negative; anxious and avoidant positive). Online self-expression was positively associated with cybervictimization (β= 0.192, p= 0.006) and cyberbullying (β= 0.293, p= 0.001) and significantly mediated the links between attachment styles and both outcomes. Direct paths from secure attachment to cybervictimization (β= −0.131, p= 0.023) and cyberbullying (β= −0.207, p= 0.001) were protective. Anxious attachment predicted higher cybervictimization (β = 0.214, p= 0.004) but showed a negative direct relation with cyberbullying (β= −0.198, p= 0.016), suggesting distinct pathways for perpetration versus exposure. Avoidant attachment exhibited no significant direct paths, indicating primarily indirect effects via online self-expression. The revised model demonstrated acceptable fit (χ²/df= 2.96, RMSEA= 0.078, GFI= 0.952, AGFI= 0.891, IFI= 0.956, CFI= 0.955).
Conclusion: Attachment security appears protective against both roles in online aggression, whereas insecure patterns confer risk primarily through heightened online self-expression. Interventions should strengthen secure attachment and promote reflective, safer self-expression online.
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