Cybervictimization and college students’ sleep quality: The mediating role of rumination and the moderating role of self-compassion

Yue Guo¹, Zhenlu Bao², Zhenlin Lei³, Rui Wang⁴, Jiawei Guo^5,*
1 School for Marxism Studies, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
2 School of Journalism & Communication, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
3 School of Public Administration, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
4 College of Business and Liberal Arts, Benedictine University, Lisle, IL, USA
5 School of Sociology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
* Corresponding Author: Jiawei Guo. Email: email

Journal of Psychology in Africa https://doi.org/10.32604/jpa.2026.083642

Received 07 April 2026; Accepted 11 May 2026; Published online 29 June 2026

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Abstract

The present study examined the association between cybervictimization and sleep quality among university students, focusing on the mediating role of rumination and the moderating role of self-compassion. Participants were 932 students (mean age = 19.74 years; 53.76% female). They completed self-report questionnaires assessing cybervictimization, rumination, self-compassion, and sleep quality. The results from mediation-moderation analysis showed that cybervictimization was positively associated with poorer sleep quality. Rumination mediated this relationship, suggesting that university students exposed to cybervictimization were more likely to engage in repetitive negative thinking, which in turn associated with worse sleep outcomes. Furthermore, self-compassion moderated the relationship between cybervictimization and rumination: the association of cybervictimization on rumination was weaker among students with higher levels of self-compassion. Interventions targeting rumination reduction and self-compassion enhancement may be effective strategies for improving sleep health among students facing cybervictimization.