Internalizing Symptoms and Externalizing Problems: Risk Factors for or Consequences of Cyber Victimization?

Abstract

Experiences of traditional victimization often co-occur with cyber victimization in adolescence but are not always controlled for when considering how cyber victimization is uniquely related to internalizing and externalizing symptoms. This is particularly problematic in longitudinal studies that attempt to determine the longitudinal associations between cyber victimization and internalizing symptoms, and between cyber victimization and externalizing problems and how these patterns may differ for adolescent boys and girls. In the current study, traditional victimization was controlled to examine the longitudinal sequences of association between cyber victimization and internalizing symptoms, and between cyber victimization and externalizing problems for adolescent boys and girls. Participants included 510 seventh and tenth grade students (M age = 13.7, 61.6% girls, 44% Asian and 30% White) who completed surveys across three academic years in middle and high school. Findings from longitudinal path models suggest that internalizing symptoms and externalizing problems respectively were associated with increases in experiences of cyber victimization (beyond the effect of traditional victimization) both within and across time, particularly for adolescent girls. Efforts to address adolescents' experiences of cyber victimization must consider the vulnerabilities created by adolescents' continued internalizing symptoms and externalizing problems that may differ for boys and girls. Implications for cyber victimization prevention and intervention efforts are discussed.