Explanatory model of cyberbullying, cybervictimization, aggressiveness, social anxiety, and adaptation to university: a structural equation analysis

Abstract

The increase in the number of cases of cyberbullying and cybervictimisation among university students and the scarce amount of research on the subject justify the need to analyse its relationship with psychological and social variables to prevent its appearance and impact. The aim of this study was to establish and contrast the fit of an explanatory model on cyberbullying and cybervictimization based on its relationship with aggressiveness, social anxiety and adaptation to university using a structural equations analysis. A total of 1,368 Spanish university students aged 18–49 (M = 21.34; SD = 4.45) completed a battery of questionnaires with the aim of assessing cyberbullying, aggressiveness, social anxiety, and adaptation to university. An adjusted structural equations model was obtained (x2 = 198.53; df = 39; p