Model of Cyber Victimization: Study on College Student in Indonesia
Authors: Nugroho Sigit , Fadhlia Tengku Nila , Rahmat Wahyudi , Napitupulu Lisfarika , Arief Yanwar 
Published: September 2024

Background

Cyber victimization is an emerging concern in the digital age, affecting a significant number of internet users, especially youth. This study aims to explore the psychological and behavioral factors contributing to cyber victimization, focusing on brief sensation seeking and youth psychopathy as independent variables, with social interaction anxiety as a mediator.

Methods

This quantitative study involved 447 internet-active students from various cities in Indonesia. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares (PLS) 3.0. The research model examined the direct and mediated effects of brief sensation seeking and youth psychopathy on cyber victimization, with social interaction anxiety as a mediator.

Results

The analysis revealed that both brief sensations seeking, and youth psychopathy significantly influence cyber victimization through social interaction anxiety. Additionally, social interaction anxiety was found to have a positive direct effect on cyber victimization. Model fitness tests, including R Square, Q Square, F Square, Goodness of Fit Index, SRMR, and PLS Predict, confirmed the robustness and coherence of the proposed model.

Conclusion

This study provides a nuanced understanding of the factors contributing to cyber victimization among youth, highlighting the critical roles of sensation seeking, psychopathy traits, and social interaction anxiety. The findings underscore the importance of addressing psychological and behavioral components to mitigate the risk of cyber victimization. Future research should further investigate these relationships and develop targeted interventions to reduce cyber victimization.

The cyber victimization model consists of brief sensation seeking, youth psychopathy, and social interaction anxiety, with cyber victimization as a constituent variable of the model. The research on the cybervictimization model is still limited. Therefore, conceptual testing of this model will positively impact the cyber victimization literature and practical implications for preventing and managing cyber victimization. The tested conceptual model can be valuable for mental health practitioners as a psychoeducational guide for individuals vulnerable to cyber victimization.

This research exhibits several weaknesses, encompassing internal validity, external validity, and statistical analysis. Internal validity is compromised by Common Method Bias, arising when data is collected from a single source or measurement method, potentially distorting analyses. Respondents answering multiple variables in one questionnaire pose a weakness, as they may tend to give consistent responses without considering actual differences in measured variables. This can inflate relationships between variables in statistical analysis, creating stronger or artificial connections. External validity weakness pertains to how study results or measurement instruments can be applied or generalized beyond the study's specific context. In this research, potential cognitive and emotional effects may impact external validity, as changes in respondents' emotional or cognitive states between self-reporting and real situations may occur. Statistical analysis weaknesses arise in PLS usage due to its sensitivity to outliers. PLS can be significantly affected by outliers, introducing instability to the model. This instability becomes apparent when testing the model on different datasets or using it to predict outcomes on new data.