Cyber Victimization and Depression in High School Students in Northern Peru

Aims Cyber victimization can generate a series of negative effects on the mental, physical, and social health of those affected, triggering anxiety, depression, and other emotional problems. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between cyber victimization and depression in high school students in the province of Tumbes, located in northern Peru. Instrument & Methods The sample of this non-experimental, cross-sectional, and quantitative study consisted of 372 high school students between 11 and 18 years of age. The Cyber Victimization Questionnaire (CBV) was used as an instrument, obtaining a Cronbach’s Alpha reliability of 0.902 in a pilot test. The Beck Depression Inventory-II was also used, with a Cronbach’s Alpha reliability of 0.921. Findings Using Spearman’s Rho correlation method, there was a significant and positive relationship between cyber victimization and depression (two-sided p-value=0.0001). Likewise, the linear regression model showed that cyber victimization was a significant predictor of depression to a degree of 32.2% (R2=0.322; p-value =0.0001). Conclusion Cyber victimization is significantly related to and predictive of depression.