Believe, Support, and Do Not Blame the Victims: Associations Between Cybergrooming Victimization, Disclosure Experiences, and Well‐Being in Adolescence

During adolescence, the Internet gains importance as a means of social interaction, with young people exploring their emerging sexuality both offline and online. Therefore, cybergrooming victimization represents a prevalent online risk in this vulnerable stage of development. Disclosing such victimization and how confidants react to it may be crucial in mitigating its adverse consequences. However, research on disclosure following cybergrooming victimization and its relevance for victims’ well‐being is pending. Therefore, the present preregistered study examined cross‐sectional associations between cybergrooming victimization, disclosure, confidants’ reactions, and well‐being. Participants were 400 victims ( M _age = 15.58 years, girls: 57.5%) from a total sample of 908 adolescents, providing self‐report data on their victimization and disclosure experiences and emotions of sadness, anxiety, and anger as indicators of well‐being. Descriptive analyses showed high disclosure rates (total: 86%, to peers: 73%, to adults: 55%), and predominantly positive evaluations of confidants’ reactions. Structural equation models revealed that victimization and confidants’ disbelief were negatively associated with well‐being, whereas dual disclosure to peers and adults was positively associated with well‐being. Finally, multigroup structural equation modeling showed that blaming by peers and adults moderated the association between victimization and well‐being, with the association being weaker in the group of victims reporting no/the least blame. Overall, the findings underscore that victims should be supported in confiding in more than one group of persons, particularly by promoting disclosure to adults. Potential confidants should be encouraged to cultivate a general tendency toward belief and to avoid statements and actions that (even if unintentionally) suggest blame.