Constructing the cyberbullying coping scale for adolescents and young adults: psychometric properties and well-being correlates.

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to develop and validate a multidimensional Cyberbullying Coping Scale for adolescents and young adults and to examine its associations with psychological, emotional, social, and digital well-being.

METHODS

A two-stage design with independent samples was employed. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with 789 participants (507 high school, 282 university students), followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on an independent sample of 1,153 participants (706 high school, 447 university students). The six-factor model demonstrated acceptable to good fit (χ2/df < 5, CFI > .90, RMSEA < .08). Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients. Associations between coping strategies, flourishing, and digital well-being were examined using Pearson correlation analyses.

RESULTS

EFA and CFA supported a six-factor structure comprising seeking social support, reactive/risky behaviours, preventive digital awareness, social and moral engagement, cognitive reappraisal, and emotional regulation. The overall scale demonstrated high internal consistency (α > .85), while subscale reliability coefficients ranged from moderate to high (α = .54–.82). Adaptive coping strategies were positively associated with flourishing and digital well-being. Reactive/risky coping strategies were negatively associated with digital well-being but showed a positive association with flourishing, which should be interpreted cautiously, as this relationship may reflect short-term or role-dependent perceptions of empowerment rather than a consistently adaptive coping outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicate that coping with cyberbullying is a multidimensional process encompassing cognitive, emotional, interpersonal, and digital dimensions. The Cyberbullying Coping Scale provides a psychometrically supported tool for assessing coping strategies among adolescents and young adults, highlighting the complexity of associations between coping responses and well-being outcomes in digital contexts.