A Latent Profile Analysis of Coping Strategies among Adolescent Cyberbullying Victims: Comparing the Roles of Online and Offline Social Capital

Abstract Cyberbullying victimization among adolescents is an escalating concern, necessitating deeper insights into coping strategies. This study aims to uncover distinct patterns of coping strategies and to examine how prior cyber-victimization, private information disclosure (self-disclosure, disclosure perpetration, disclosure victimization), and social capital (online and offline) relate to these empirically derived profiles. A sample of 1,716 Chinese secondary students (mean age = 14.62 years; 44.5% male) from public ( n = 1,132) and vocational ( n = 584) schools completed the survey. Using latent profile analysis (LPA), we identified three distinct profiles of coping strategies: (1) Maladaptive and Avoidant , (2) Moderate and Cognitive-Reframing , and (3) High Engagement and Flexible . R3STEP Multinomial Logistic Regression results showed that adolescents in the Maladaptive and Avoidant group had the highest scores in disclosure of private information, cyberbullying victimization, and online social capital, alongside the lowest scores in offline social capital. Adolescents in the Moderate and Cognitive-Reframing group reported the highest levels of offline social capital. Those in the High Engagement and Flexible group reported the lowest scores of all adversities. This profiling offers significant advantages over traditional typologies by providing a data-driven method for identifying coping profiles and capturing the dynamic interactions of multiple factors within individuals. This research provides valuable insights for designing more targeted interventions that address the specific needs of each group, particularly for adolescents with avoidant tendencies.