Gender, Rumination, and Awareness of the Perpetrator's Identity as Predictors of Help-Seeking Among Cyberbullying Victims

Previous studies have highlighted the importance of help-seeking as a strategy that has a potential to reduce incidents of cyberbullying. Although several intervention programs incorporated help-seeking strategies as a key element of education, relatively little is known about the individual factors that may influence help-seeking propensity among victims. The present study investigated cyberbullying-specific factors, dysfunctional emotion regulatory strategies, and psychological resources as possible predictors of help-seeking. A total of 447 cyberbullying victims (49.9% male; M-age = 28.9 years, SD = 9.1) completed an online questionnaire on bullying experiences and other relevant variables. Results indicated that females and those with a higher tendency to ruminate about past cyberbullying incidents were more likely to seek help. Furthermore, victims' awareness of the perpetrator's identity was also associated with a greater likelihood of help-seeking. These findings could possibly contribute to the efficacy of intervention programs by increasing general knowledge about individual differences in help-seeking behaviors.