Cybervictimization and cyberbullying: The mediating role of anger, don’t anger me!

• Who are cybervictimized are more likely to engage in cyberbullying behaviors.
• Cybervictimization is positively and directly related to anger-in and anger-out.
• Cybervictimization is indirectly related to cyberbullying through anger-in.

Recent research has revealed relationship between cybervictimization and cyberbullying, but the possible role of anger as a mediating factor between cybervictimization and cyberbullying remains an area for further clarification. The purpose of this study was to analyze the direct and indirect relationships among cybervictimization, anger expression styles, and cyberbullying, and to test whether anger expression styles mediates the relationship between cybervictimization and cyberbullying in the context of General Strain Theory (GST). Data for the present study were collected from 687 undergraduate students with a mean age of 22.45 years (SD = 2.42). Participants completed cyberbullying, cybervictimization and anger expression scales. Structural equation modeling was used to test two models: one to examine direct and indirect relationships and one to examine only indirect relationships in which cyberbullying predicted anger-in and anger-out which in turn predicted cyberbullying. Analyses of fit indices showed that both models were adequate fits for the data. The findings provide evidence of direct effects of cybervictimization on cyberbullying and indirect effects of cybervictimization on cyberbullying mediated by anger-in. Specifically, results showed that cybervictimization was positively and directly related to anger-in and anger-out, and indirectly related to cyberbullying through anger-in. Prevention programs in schools can be applied to improve students’ emotion regulation and anger control, not only in the context of overt aggression, but also in cyberspace.