The relationship between adolescent bullying victimization, self-control and cyberbullying: a cross-lagged panel model

Cyberbullying has emerged as a prevalent and harmful form of adolescent aggression in the digital age. While prior studies suggest that traditional bullying victimization may lead to cyberbullying perpetration, findings remain inconsistent, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Guided by General Strain Theory and Self-Control Theory, this study explores the longitudinal relationships among bullying victimization, self-control, and cyberbullying among Chinese adolescents. A two-wave longitudinal survey was conducted among 622 vocational high school students over a six-month interval. Participants completed validated measures of bullying victimization, self-control, and cyberbullying. Cross-lagged panel modeling revealed that bullying victimization at T1 significantly predicted cyberbullying at T2, while self-control negatively predicted both bullying victimization and cyberbullying over time. Furthermore, bullying victimization at T2 fully mediated the effect of self-control on subsequent cyberbullying. These findings provide empirical support for the victim-offender overlap framework and underscore the protective role of self-control in mitigating cyberbullying. Implications for intervention and future research directions are discussed.