The Relationship Between Bullying Victimization and Cyber Aggression Among College Students: The Mediating Effects of Relative Deprivation and Depression

INTRODUCTION: Based on the general aggression model, the present study aims to examine the relationship between bullying victimization and cyber aggression as well as the mediating effects of perceived relative deprivation and depression on this relationship. METHODS: The present study employed a 3-wave longitudinal method featuring 6-month intervals to investigate 795 Chinese college students (476 female; M(age) = 19.67). Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the relationships among bullying victimization, perceived relative deprivation, depression and cyber aggression. RESULTS: The results suggested that bullying victimization positively and significantly predicts cyber aggression in college students and that both perceived relative deprivation and depression play positive mediating roles in this relationship. Moreover, bullying victimization affects cyber aggression via the chain mediating roles of perceived relative deprivation and depression. DISCUSSION: This study offers valuable insight into ways of considering perceived relative deprivation and depression in the context of prevention and intervention strategies to help attenuate cyber aggression among victims of bullying.