Abstract
Previous literature has suggested that victimization is linked to low self-esteem and increases the symptoms of gaming disorder. However, little is known about the intra-individual processes, and the temporal dynamics of cyber-victimization, self-esteem, and gaming disorder symptoms. To address this gap, a three-year longitudinal study was performed using data collected at six different time points from 4206 Chinese adolescents (aged 12–17 years; 50.4% boys). Results of random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs) indicated that at the within-person level, the fluctuation in self-esteem weakly predicted late cyber-victimization, and the fluctuation of cyber-victimization also weakly predicted late self-esteem. Additionally, the current study identified an interactive effect between self-esteem and gaming disorder symptoms at the within-person level. Fluctuations in self-esteem negatively predicted late gaming disorder symptoms, and vice versa. However, when combining the three variables (i.e., cyber-victimization, self-esteem, and gaming disorder symptoms) into one RI-CLPM, the results did not support the mediation of self-esteem in the relationship between cyber-victimization and gaming disorder symptoms at the within-person level. Moreover, fluctuations in self-esteem negatively predicted late gaming disorder symptoms and cyber-victimization at the within-person level in the RI-CLPM. These findings emphasize the protective role of self-esteem developed against cyber-victimization and gaming disorder symptoms among adolescents.
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Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the teachers and research assistants of the study who helped with the data collection and input. We also acknowledge and thank the participants who took this longitudinal project.
Funding
The current study is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 32300887), and Funds for Humanities and Social Sciences, Ministry of Education of China (Grant No. 23YJC190017), and the Chongqing Social Science Foundation (Grant No. 2022YC075).
Data Sharing and DeclarationThe data supporting the current study’s findings are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Q.N. conceived the study, collected the data, interpreted the results, drafted and edited the manuscript. M.D.G. interpreted the results, helped to draft the manuscript, and revised and edited the manuscript. Z.T. conceived the study, performed the statistical analysis, interpreted the results, drafted and edited the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.
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The authors declare no conflict of interest except M.D.G. M.D.G. has received research funding from Norsk Tipping (the gambling operator owned by the Norwegian government). M.D.G. has received funding for a number of research projects in the area of gambling education for young people, social responsibility in gambling and gambling treatment from GambleAware (formerly the Responsibility in Gambling Trust), a charitable body which funds its research program based on donations from the gambling industry. M.D.G. undertakes consultancy for various gambling companies in the area of player protection and social responsibility in gambling.
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Nie, Q., Griffiths, M.D. & Teng, Z. The Role of Self-Esteem in Protecting Against Cyber-Victimization and Gaming Disorder Symptoms Among Adolescents: A Temporal Dynamics Analysis. J. Youth Adolescence 53, 863–876 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01890-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01890-8