Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Hadi Samadieh ¹
• Maryam Yousefi ²
• Motahareh Valavi ³

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran.

² Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

³ Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Shiraz, Shiraz, Iran.

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the mediating effects of sense of belonging and psychological distress in the association between cyberbullying victimization and life satisfaction. Conducted as basic research within a descriptive-correlational framework, the study targeted students from Birjand, Tabriz, and Sistan and Baluchestan universities during the 2023-2024 academic year. A total of 580 participants, comprising 352 females and 228 males, were recruited through convenience sampling to complete the Cyberbullying Victimization (CBV), Sense of Belonging (SOB), Psychological Distress (K6), and Satisfaction with Life (SWLS) surveys. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling techniques through SPSS-26 and Amos-24 software. The findings revealed that all direct pathways, with the exception of victimization to life satisfaction and sense of belonging, were statistically significant (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the indirect pathway from cyber victimization to life satisfaction through psychological distress showed significant results (p < 0.01), whereas the mediation effect through sense of belonging was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). These results highlight the crucial role of psychological distress in linking cyber victimization to reduced life satisfaction in students, underscoring the negative emotional impact of cyber victimization.

Keywords

• Cyberbullying Victimization
• Life Satisfaction
• Psychological Distress
• Sense of Belonging