Cyberbullying victimization, media usage habits, and social health among Chinese university students: the moderating effects of face loss and social media use

Using cross-sectional face-to-face survey data collected in 2018 from 234 Chinese university students, this study examines how social health and media use relate to cyberbullying victimization, focusing on the moderating effects of social media use and face loss (i.e., perceived damage to one’s public self-image). Our approach is based in routine activity theory, which emphasizes that victimization occurs when motivated offenders encounter suitable targets engaged in risky activities without capable guardianship. Ordinary least squares regression and conditional process analyses indicate that depression and anxiety increase cybervictimization risk, especially among daily social media users; face loss moderates the association between social health and cybervictimization. These findings extend routine activity theory to the Chinese context by demonstrating that social health and cultural factors shape online target suitability. Practically, we offer recommendations for universities and policymakers to strengthen prevention and intervention, such as improving cyberbullying awareness and providing digital-literacy training.