Cyberspace and Tendency toward Drug Addiction in Adolescents: The Central Role of Cyberbullying Victimization and Psychological Dysregulation

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Elementary school teacher, M.A. in Psychology, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran

2 Elementary school teacher, M.A. in Psychology, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Bonab Payame Noor University, Bonab, Iran

3 Elementary school teacher, M.A. in Educational Psychology, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

4 Psychologist Social Welfare Emergency Center of Azarshahr county, M.A. in Psychology, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran

5 Educational Psychology, Islamic Azad University of Urmia, Urmia, Iran

6 Assistant Professor of Educational Management, Department of Educational Sciences, Farhangian University, Mashhad, Iran

7 Elementary school teacher, M.A. in Educational research, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explain tendency toward drug addiction in adolescents based on the cyberbullying victimization and psychological dysregulation. In this descriptive-correlational study 356 (197 boys and 159 girls) high school students of Miandoab city were selected in the 2018/2019 academic year, by cluster-random sampling method and completed the Iranian addiction potential scale, the psychological dysregulation inventory, as well as the cyber-aggression and cyber-victimization scale. Data were analyzed by Pearson’s correlation coefficient as well as multiple linear regression. The results showed that there were significant correlations between cyber-aggression, cyber-victimization, and psychological dysregulation (behavioral, cognitive, and emotional) and tendency toward drug addiction in the adolescents. Also, the cyberbullying victimization and psychological dysregulation could favorably predict the tendency toward drug addiction in the adolescents. Findings of this study showed the need to pay attention to cyberbullying victimization and psychological dysregulation as important etiological factors in the tendency towards drug addiction in adolescents.

Keywords


 
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