Cyberbullying victimization: do victims' personality and risky social network behaviors contribute to the problem?

This study examines the impact of risky social network site practices (SNS) and individual differences in self-disclosure and personality on the likelihood of cyberbullying victimization among young adult Facebook users. Results from 572 respondents show that posting indiscreet or negative content, having Facebook friends who post such content, and number of Facebook friends were all strong predictors of cyberbullying victimization. In addition, most of the personality variables examined (conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, emotional stability, self-disclosure) were significant predictors of at least some of these risky SNS practices. However, only extroversion and openness were significant predictors of cyberbullying victimization. Implications for individuals and organizations are provided.