Examining the relationship between cyberbullying, emotion regulation and depression in adolescents

SUMMARY This study was designed as a cross-sectional study to examine the relationship between cyberbullying, emotion regulation and depression in high school students in Kahramanmaraş Central Onikişubat and Dulkadiroğlu districts. The research population consisted of 40987 students in secondary education institutions in Kahramanmaraş Central Onikişubat and Dulkadiroğlu districts and the sample consisted of 400 students. The study was carried out with 381 students due to losses. Personal Information Form, Cyberbullying Scale, Emotion Regulation Scale and Beck Depression Scale were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics were given as number and percentage for categorical variables, mean±standard, minimum, maximum and range for quantitative variables. T-test, one-way analysis of variance (Anova) and post hoc (Tukey, LSD) analyses were used to examine the differences between the scales according to the descriptive characteristics of the students. p˂0.05 value was considered statistically significant. Kurtosis and Skewness values were analysed to determine whether the variables used in the study were normally distributed. In terms of the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants; in terms of gender variable, the number of female participants is 97 (25.0%), the number of male participants is 284 (74.5%), according to the grade variable; 9th grade 128 (33.6%), 10th grade 79 (20.7%), 11th grade 75 (19.7%), 12th grade 99 (26.0%). grade 99(26,0%), according to the age variable; the number of participants who are 19 years old is 9(2,4), 18 years old is 83(21,8), 17 years old is 72(18,9), 16 years old is 89(23,4), 15 years old is 120(31,5), 14 years old is 8(2,1) and according to the school type variable; The number of participants of Anatolian High School is 102(26,8%), the number of participants of Vocational High School is 74(26,8%), the number of participants of Sports High School is 113(29,7%) and the number of participants of Imam Hatip High School is 92(24,1%). The scales used in the study were analysed according to age, gender and school type variables. The sub-dimensions of the cyberbullying scale, cyberbullying and cyber victimisation scores showed a significant difference according to the age variable. Emotion Regulation Scale and its sub-dimensions Reappraisal and Emotion Suppression did not show a significant difference according to age. It was determined that the depression scores of the students participating in the study showed a significant difference according to the age variable. According to the results obtained; Beck Depression Inventory scores and Emotion Regulation Scale and its sub-dimensions Reappraisal and Emotion Suppression scores of the participants according to the gender variable, no significant difference was found. There was no significant difference in Cyberbullying Scale and its sub-dimensions Witnessing, Cyberbullying and Cyber victimisation scores according to gender variable. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups according to the Beck Depression Inventory school type of the participants. Emotion Regulation Scale and sub-dimensions of Emotion Regulation Scale and sub-dimensions of Re-evaluation were not found statistically significant difference between groups according to school type status. Emotion Regulation Scale and its sub-dimension Emotion Suppression showed a significant difference according to school type. Cyberbullying Scale sub-dimensions Cyber Bullying and Cyber Victimisation were found statistically significant difference between the groups according to school type. There is no significant relationship between the participants' Cyberbullying Scale sub-dimensions of being a Cyber Bully and being a Cyber Victim and Emotion Regulation Scale Subdimension Reappraisal score. There is a low level negative significant relationship between the sub-dimensions of the Cyberbullying Scale, being a cyber bully and being a cyber victim, and the Emotion Regulation Scale and its sub-dimension Emotion Suppression score. There is a significant positive relationship between cyberbullying and its sub-dimensions (Cyberbullying-Cyber Victimization-Cyber Witness) scores and Beck Depression Inventory score. In this study, it was determined that cyberbullying sub-dimensions (Cyberbullying-Cyberbullying-Cyber Victimisation) and emotion regulation (Reappraisal-Compression) predicted the level of depression. Cyberbullying and emotion regulation predicted the level of depression by 50%.