Relationship between Cyberbullying Victimization and Non-suicidal Self-Injury: Roles of Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Self-Compassion

Abstract

Non-suicidal self-injury has been increasingly acknowledged as a health problem. However, the association of cyberbullying victimization with non-suicidal self-injury and the mechanisms connecting this link have not been sufficiently studied. Therefore, the current study aimed to test the link between cyberbullying victimization and non-suicidal self-injury and to explore the mediating roles of basic psychological needs satisfaction and the moderating role of self-compassion in this relation. A sample of 1007 senior high students participated in the current study and completed multiple questionnaires on cyberbullying victimization, basic psychological needs satisfaction, non-suicidal self-injury, and self-compassion. The bivariate correlations between variables, mediation model, and moderated mediation model were tested by correlation analysis and Model 4 and Model 8 of the PROCESS macro, respectively. The results indicated that cyberbullying victimization was significantly and positively associated with non-suicidal self-injury. Autonomy needs satisfaction mediated the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and non-suicidal self-injury. The direct effect of cyberbullying victimization on non-suicidal self-injury was alleviated by strong self-compassion. Besides, self-compassion strengthened the direct relation between cyberbullying victimization and basic psychological needs and further strengthened the indirect association of cyberbullying victimization with non-suicidal self-injury. Our study highlights the potential mechanisms underlining the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and non-suicidal self-injury, and it has important theoretical and practical implications for adolescent non-suicidal self-injury.