Anxiety and Depression from Cybervictimization in Adolescents: A Metaanalysis and Meta-regression Study

Background/Objective: Cyberbullying is one of the social problems of most concern in educational spheres, especially in adolescence, where victimization experiences have been associated with episodes of anxiety and depression. The aim ofthis work was to analyze the relationship between cybervictimization, anxiety and depression in adolescence in a metaanalysisand identify the moderating variables that could help to explain the various correlations. Method: A search for crosssectionalstudies was conducted in the Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycINFO databases. Of the 156 studies identified, finally13 met inclusion criteria, with a total of 7,348 participants. Results: The results show statistically significant correlationsbetween cybervictimization and anxiety (r =.31) and cybervictimization and depression (r =.28), with moderate-to-largeeffect sizes. The meta-regression analysis showed that the percentage of women and continent are moderating variablesin the relationship between cybervictimization with depression and anxiety. Conclusions: In conclusion, misuse of thenew information and communication technologies can lead to psychological and social maladjustment of individuals, withnegative repercussions on their development © 2022 Colegio Oficial de la Psicología de Madrid. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)