Cibervictimización y satisfacción vital en adolescentes: La inteligencia emocional como variable mediadora

Abstract

Cybervictimization and life satisfaction in adolescents: emotional intelligence as mediator. Cyberbullying has recently emerged as a new variation of school bullying which takes place in the cyberspace, becoming an important psychosocial problem and generating a significant impact on the adolescent individuals who suffer from it. Being a cyberbullying victim could lead to an important emotional and psychological imbalance, affecting significant areas such as life satisfaction (SV). The present research aim was twofold: to explore the relationships between cybervictimization, emotional intelligence (EI) and SV; and to test EI as a potential mediator variable in the relationship between cybervictimization and SV. The sample consisted of 731 students in grades of compulsory secondary education and Bachillerato (7th to 12th grades), as well as A level. The participants met three scales: the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS); the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionaire (ECIP-Q); and the Satisfaction with life Scale (SWLS). As was expected, the correlation analysis showed that EI was statistically significant and positively related with SV, whereas cybervictimization was statistically significant and negatively related with EI and SV. Additionally, the mediation analyses indicated that EI partially mediated the relationship between the cybervictimization and SV. Finally, the implications of this study in both a theoretical and practical level are reflected upon.