Fitting a Conceptual Model of the Relationship of Basic Psychological Needs and Peer Group Attachment with Cyberbullying: The Mediating Role of Empathy among Upper Secondary School Students
Keywords:
Basic Psychological Needs, Peer Group Attachment, Empathy, Cyberbullying, Adolescents, Path AnalysisAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to test the fit of a conceptual model of the relationships of basic psychological needs and peer group attachment with cyberbullying and to examine the mediating role of empathy among upper secondary school students.
Methods and Materials: This applied, descriptive-correlational study used path analysis. The statistical population consisted of upper secondary school students in Tehran, Iran, during the 2025–2026 academic year. Using multistage cluster random sampling, 420 students were initially recruited, and after data screening, 260 valid cases were included in the final analyses. Data were collected using the Adolescent Measure of Empathy and Sympathy, the Basic Psychological Needs Scale, the Peer Attachment Questionnaire, and the Cyberbullying and Cybervictimization Experiences Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and path analysis with SPSS and AMOS version 26. Model fit was evaluated using χ²/df, RMSEA, GFI, AGFI, NFI, CFI, IFI, and TLI, and indirect effects were tested using bootstrap confidence intervals.
Findings: The proposed model demonstrated an acceptable fit to the data (χ²/df = 1.84, RMSEA = .057, GFI = .95, AGFI = .92, NFI = .94, CFI = .96, IFI = .96, TLI = .95). Basic psychological needs positively predicted empathy (β = .35, p < .001) and negatively predicted cyberbullying (β = −.21, p = .001). Peer group attachment also positively predicted empathy (β = .30, p < .001) and negatively predicted cyberbullying (β = −.18, p = .002). Empathy had a significant negative effect on cyberbullying (β = −.29, p < .001). Bootstrap analyses confirmed significant indirect effects of basic psychological needs (β = −.10, 95% CI [−.162, −.054]) and peer group attachment (β = −.09, 95% CI [−.143, −.045]) on cyberbullying through empathy.
Conclusion: Basic psychological needs and secure peer attachment may reduce cyberbullying both directly and indirectly by strengthening empathy, highlighting the importance of need-supportive, peer-supportive, and empathy-based interventions in secondary schools.
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References
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