EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CYBER-VICTIMIZATION, AGGRESSIVENESS, AND SOCIAL ANXIETY: A CASE STUDY OF SHAH ABDUL LATIF UNIVERSITY KHAIRPUR MIRS, SINDH

Abstract

Cyberbullying has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges facing university students in the digital era, with consequences that extend well beyond the online space into students' emotional, social, and academic lives. This study examined the relationships among cyberbullying, cyber-victimization, social anxiety, and aggressiveness among students at Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. Using a quantitative, correlational research design, data were collected from 260 university students through a structured questionnaire employing standardized instruments, including the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire and validated cyber-victimization and social anxiety scales. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in Smart-PLS. The measurement model demonstrated strong reliability and validity across all constructs, and the structural model confirmed that cyberbullying exerts a very strong positive effect on cyber-victimization (β = 0.946, p < 0.001), which in turn significantly predicts both social anxiety (β = 0.747, p < 0.001) and aggressiveness (β = 0.561, p < 0.001). The model explained 89.4% of the variance in cyber-victimization, 55.9% of the variance in social anxiety, and 31.5% of the variance in aggressiveness. All three hypotheses were supported. These findings confirm that cyber-victimization functions as a critical link between cyberbullying exposure and students' psychological and behavioral outcomes. The study concludes with practical implications and recommendations for universities, counselors, and policymakers, along with directions for future research.