Bullying and Cyberbullying in Adolescence and its relations with Life satisfaction, Loneliness, Depressive symptoms and Reputation

The present study investigated the relation between bullying, cyberbullying, life satisfaction, loneliness, depressive symptoms and reputation. Participants were 484 adolescents aged 11 to 17 years (55,2 % male) drawn from two public schools in Valencia (Spain). Statistical analyses were carried out to examine the relation between bullying and cyberbullying and life satisfaction, loneliness and depressive symptoms and to examine the presence of a mediator in these relationships. Results revealed that there is a significant negative correlation between bullying and life satisfaction and between cyberbullying and life satisfaction. The results also revealed that there is a significant positive correlation between bullying and loneliness and between bullying and depressive symptoms. Similar to bullying, a significant positive relation between cyberbullying and loneliness and between cyberbullying and depressive symptoms has been found. Furthermore, results revealed that the adolescent’s own idea about his or her reputation in the peer group is a partial mediator in the relation between bullying and loneliness. In the relation between cyberbullying and life satisfaction, loneliness and depressive symptoms and in the relation between bullying and life satisfaction and depressive symptoms, the adolescent’s own idea about his or her reputation was not found to be a mediator.