Do Cybervictimizations Predict Suicide-Related Behaviors in Adolescents? Mediating Role of the “Escaping” Coping Strategy

Abstract

The high prevalence of suicide-related behaviors (SRB) among adolescents is a concerning issue that calls for the identification of explanatory and mediating factors involved. This study examines, by gender: (1) the percentage of adolescents reporting SRB, cyberbullying, and cybersexual harassment; (2) the association between cyberbullying and cybersexual harassment with SRB; (3) the predictive power of cybervictimization in SRB; and (4) the mediating role of Escaping coping strategy between cybervictimization and SRB. One thousand and twenty-seven adolescents (62.5% girls) aged 13 to 18 years (M = 15.59, SD = 1.28) participated in the study and completed the Youth Self Report (for SRB), Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (for cybervictimization), and Adolescent Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences, Spanish (for coping). About 16% of respondents (19% of girls and 8.9% of boys) reported SRB, about 18% reported Cyberbullying (20.8% of girls and 13.0% of boys), and near 23% reported Cybersexual harassment (28.7% of girls and 12.5% of boys). There is a significant association between cybervictimization and SRB, with the presence of cybervictimization increasing the likelihood of SRB by three to four times (especially in boys), and significantly predicting SRB. Escaping coping strategy partially mediates the relationship between cybervictimization and SRB only in girls. The findings that cybervictimization predicts SRB and that Escaping coping mediates this relationship provide insights for the implementation of prevention and intervention policies.