Mattering Matters: Examining the Moderating Role of Mattering in Cyberbullying Victimization-Outcome Relationships Among College Students

Recognized as a public health threat, cyberbullying victimization (CV), or bullying experienced through digital technologies, is mostly studied among adolescents, but evidence among college students suggests that it is prevalent and linked with negative outcomes. One protective factor that might reduce the impact of CV is mattering, which involves feeling significant and valued by others. In this study, we explored five hypotheses, including examining the moderating role of mattering in four CV-outcome relationships (self-esteem, life satisfaction, depression, and academic performance). Data were collected across two time-points from 134 college seniors using online surveys. Mattering moderated the CV-life satisfaction relationship and the CV-self-esteem relationship, such that, at low levels of mattering, there was no relationship, but, at average/high levels of mattering, there were negative CV-outcome relationships. To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the role of mattering in relation to CV among college students and paves the way for additional research examining mattering as a moderator of other CV-outcome relationships. The fact that college students in the current study who did not feel that they mattered were seemingly unaffected by cyberbullying victimization highlights the need for both additional research and interventions, particularly with these individuals.