Cyberbullying, psychosocial problems and affecting factors among adolescents

Purpose

The aim of the study is to examine cyberbullying, psychosocial problems and the factors affecting them among adolescents.

Design and methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Türkiye. The population of the study consisted of 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students from a public middle school. Data were collected through a descriptive characteristics questionnaire, Cyberbullying Scale, and Pediatric Symptom Checklist.

Results

Both psychosocial problems and cyberbullying levels were found to be significantly higher in students who were male, in the 7th and 8th grades, and who used the internet for 3 h or more per day (p < .05). It was found that the level of psychosocial problems was significantly higher in students who had chronic diseases, who used medication regularly, and whose parents had a high school education or lower (p < .05). A weak positive correlation was found between the Pediatric Symptom Checklist and Cyberbullying Scale (r = 0.169, p < .001). Daily internet usage time and cyberbullying explained 7.6 % of psychosocial problems.

Conclusions

The study found that adolescents' psychosocial problems were associated with the level of cyberbullying, and that gender, grade level, and daily internet use duration affected psychosocial problems and cyberbullying, while the presence of a chronic disease and the level of parental education affected psychosocial problems. Daily internet usage time and cyberbullying were predictors of psychosocial problems. It is recommended that educational programs on safe internet use be provided, especially for male adolescents in grades 7–8 who spend more than 3 h a day on the internet.