The Mediation Effect of Online⋅Offline Friendship on the Relationship between Academic Stress and Cyberbullying Victim-Offender Experience Perceived by Middle School Students

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediation effect of online⋅offline friendship on the relationship between academic stress and cyberbullying victim-offender experience perceived by middle school students. Methods For this a questionnaire was conducted on 262 students in middle school in Gyeongsangnam-do and the data of 243 students were finally analyzed using the SPSS Ver. 27.0 program. Correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationship between each variable, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis was carried out to verify the mediation effect of online⋅offline friendship. In addition, the Sobel Test, Bootstrapping was conducted to verify the significance of the indirect effect of the parameters. Results First, in the relationship between academic stress, online⋅offline friendship, and cyberbullying victim⋅ offender experiences perceived by middle school students, there was a significant negative correlation between academic stress and online⋅offline friendship, and there was a significant positive correlation between academic stress and cyberbullying victim⋅offender experiences. Second, in the relationship between academic stress and cyberbullying victim experience, the partial mediation effect of online friendship was verified. Third, in the relationship between academic stress and cyberbullying victim experience, the partial mediation effect of offline friendship was verified. Fourth, in the relationship between academic stress and cyberbullying offender experience, the partial mediation effect of online friendship was verified. Fifth, in the relationship between academic stress and cyberbullying offender experience, the partial mediation effect of offline friendship was verified. Conclusions These findings suggest the need for interventions that can improve healthy online⋅offline friendship as well as reduce academic stress in order to minimize the cyberbullying cyberbullying victim⋅offender experience.