A Prevalence and Risk Factors of Cyberbullying among High School Students in Tehran, Iran: A Cross-Sectional Survey
Keywords:
Cyberbullying, Prevalence, Risk Factors, High School Students, TehranAbstract
Purpose: The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the prevalence and risk factors of cyberbullying among high school students in Tehran, Iran.
Methods and Materials: This study employed a cross-sectional research design. The statistical population encompassed all high school students in Tehran during the academic year 2021-2022. A sample of 389 individuals was selected using a multi-stage cluster sampling method. Data were collected using the Multidimensional Cyberbullying Questionnaire (MCQ), developed by the researchers. The collected data were analyzed using Multinomial Logistic Regression (MLR) analysis, conducted with SPSS22 and AMOS26.
Findings: 67.60% of participants experienced cyberbullying in the past year. Retaliation was the primary coping strategy. It was found that being female increases the probability of victimization (P< 0/001) and decreases the probability of being in other roles (P< 0/0001). senior high school students were more likely to be bystanders (P< 0/01). with the increase in the use of technologies, the possibility of being in all the roles of cyberbullying increases (P< 0/01), and with the increase in the skill in using technology, the possibility of being in the role of bully(P<0/01), bully-bystander (P< 0/001), and bully-victim-bystander(P< 0/001) increases and the possibility of being in the role of victim decreases (P< 0/001).
Conclusion: Cyberbullying poses a significant threat to the well-being of Iranian students. This study highlights the high prevalence of cyberbullying and the ineffective use of retaliation as a coping strategy. These findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive interventions to prevent and address cyberbullying. Policymakers, educators, and mental health professionals must collaborate to develop effective strategies to protect young people in the digital age.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Seyyed Amir Ghasemtabar; Saber Abdolmaleki, Seyyed Abdollah Ghasemtabar (Author)
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