The Moderating Effect of Self-Esteem on the Relationships Between Associated Factors and Cyberbullying Behavior Among Thai Adolescents

Abstract

Cyberbullying has emerged as a significant problem, impacting adolescents globally, and persistent experiences with this can have adverse effects on their lives. The purposes of this study were 1) to validate the relationships among depression, traditional bullying, traditional victimization, online disinhibition, peer relationships, parental social media mediation, and cyberbullying perpetration among Thai adolescents and 2) to test the moderating effect of self-esteem on the relationships of depression, traditional bullying, traditional victimization, and online disinhibition with cyberbullying perpetration in Thai adolescents. The results indicated that all of the selected factors jointly predicted an 83.2% variance in cyberbullying perpetration among Thai adolescents. Regarding the moderating role of self-esteem, the results from the moderated multiple regression analysis showed that self-esteem significantly moderated the relationships of depression, traditional bullying, traditional victimization, and online disinhibition with cyberbullying perpetration. The information from this study can be applied to develop programs to promote self-esteem to prevent or reduce cyberbullying perpetration.