The Mediating Role of Academic Aspiration in the Relationship between School Connectedness and Cyber-bullying among High School Students

Introduction: School connectedness refers to the students' attachment, belonging and commitment to the school. High level of school connectedness leads to increased academic success and decreased risky behaviors in students. The objective of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of academic aspiration in the relationship between school connectedness and cyber-bullying among high school students in Zanjan. Method: The research method was correlational. The statistical population included all boy and girl high school students in Zanjan in the academic year of 2019-2020. The sample consisted of 324 students who were selected through virtual snowball sampling method. To collect data, Cyber-Bullying Experiences Questionnaire (2016), School Bonding Questionnaire (2014) and Academic Aspiration Questionnaire (2004) were used. The fit of the proposed model was examined through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using Smart PLS software (version 3.3). In addition, the Bootstrap method was used to investigate the indirect effects. Results: The direct effect of cyber-bullying on academic aspiration was not significant (β = -. 07, p =.28). However, the direct effects of cyber-bullying (β = -. 10, p =.001) and academic aspiration (β =.73, p =.0001) on school connectedness were significant. Moreover, the indirect effect of academic aspiration on school connectedness was not significant (β = -. 05, p =.29). Conclusion: These findings can guide counselors and psychologists to plan training sessions to reduce the negative effect of cyber-bullying and to increase the positive effect of academic aspiration on school connectedness among students.