Cyberbullying Victimization and Sense of Purpose Among Hispanic College Students: A Moderated Mediation Model of Depression and Religious Beliefs

Abstract

Studies have not focused much on the risk or protective factors of Hispanic college students’ cyberbullying victimization. This study applied the stress, appraisal, and coping theory to examine how the association between cyberbullying victimization and a Hispanic college student’s sense of purpose in life might be explained by their depressive symptoms. We also examined how religious beliefs moderate the association of the effect of cyberbullying victimization on a sense of purpose in life via depressive symptoms. The PROCESS Macro was used to examine a moderated mediation model from a sample of 168 Hispanic college students. Findings revealed that depressive symptoms mediated the effect of cyberbullying victimization on a sense of purpose in life. Moreover, cyberbullying victimization on a sense of purpose in life via depressive symptoms was significantly moderated by religious beliefs. These findings support the stress, appraisal, and coping theory and provide implications for research and practice.