Cybervictimization and adjustment in late childhood: Moderating effects of social sensitivity

The present study examined the moderating effects of social sensitivity in the relations between cybervictimization and school and psychological adjustment in Chinese children. Participants were 577 elementary school students in fifth and sixth grades (287 boys; Mage = 11 years) in Sichuan, China. Self-report data were collected on cybervictimization, social sensitivity, and psychological adjustment (social anxiety and loneliness). Teachers rated children on school competence, and data on academic achievement was obtained from school records. The results indicated that cybervictimization was negatively associated with teacher-rated school competence and academic achievement and positively associated with loneliness, mainly for children with high social sensitivity. Children with low social sensitivity were relatively unsusceptible to the experiences of cybervictimization. The results suggest that parents, teachers, and professionals should pay particular attention to the school and psychological adjustment of cybervictimized and socially sensitive children.