Abstract
Background and Objective: Internet addiction is a prevalent issue among today's adolescents, particularly among students who experience bullying victimization. Furthermore, anxiety is a common psychological response among these students, which can further exacerbate their internet addiction. However, physical exercise, as an effective regulator, has the potential to alleviate the severity of internet addiction in middle school students who are victims of bullying. This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing internet addiction in students who experience bullying victimization, with the goal of providing a theoretical basis for intervention and prevention strategies targeting internet addiction in this population. Methods: A sample of 422 first-year junior high school students (age: 12.26 ± 0.46; male: 209, female: 233) from an urban school was selected for this study. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey, which included measures of bullying victimization, anxiety levels, internet addiction severity, and physical activity levels. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0 software and the PROCESS plugin. Correlation analysis, mediation effect modeling, and moderation effect modeling were employed to analyze the relationships among the main variables, to examine the mediating role of anxiety between bullying victimization and internet addiction, and to explore the moderating effect of physical activity in this relationship. Results: The results showed a significant positive correlation between the level of bullying victimization among middle school students and both anxiety levels and internet addiction. In addition, internet addiction was significantly and negatively correlated with physical activity. Anxiety was found to partially mediate the relationship between bullying victimization and internet addiction (β = 0.338, t = 7.202, p < 0.001). Moreover, the level of physical activity significantly predicted the degree of internet addiction among bullying victimization students, indicating a negative interaction (interaction term of bullying victimization and physical activity: β = -0.089, t = -1.975, p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study uncovered the relationship between internet addiction and anxiety among students who experienced bullying victimization, while also confirming the beneficial role of physical exercise in reducing internet addiction. Furthermore, the study revealed that physical exercise has a moderating effect within the mediation of anxiety. These findings suggest that interventions targeting internet addiction in bullying victimization students should address not only their mental health status but also promote their engagement in physical exercise. In summary, this study provides a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for intervening in internet addiction and addressing issues related to bullying among contemporary adolescents.
Published Version
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