The Consequences of Cyberbullying on the Psychological Well-being of University Students

Abstract

Advancements in technological tools and the increasing use of social media platforms have led to the wreaking harm of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is believed to be a significant societal problem that demands serious attention within communities (Heirman & Walrave, 2012). The purpose of the study was to explore the consequences of cyber victimization and cyberbullying on self-esteem, anxiety, and distress among university students. A cross-sectional survey was used on 400 university students studying at the BS level selected by using a convenient sampling technique. Research tools RCBI, BAI-Y, RSES, and BDI-Y were adapted. Scales were adapted contextualized, and pilot-tested. All scales were reliable with acceptable alpha value cyber victimization = 0.90, cyberbullying = 0.90, anxiety 0.83, self-esteem = 0.68, and distress = 0.79. The collected data were tabulated, analyzed, and interpreted using descriptive (frequency & percentage) and inferential statistics (t-test, Regression Analysis). The analysis revealed that anxiety has a positive relationship with cyber victimization and cyberbullying. Likewise, cyber victimization and cyberbullying increase the distress level of students. Moreover, self-esteem is negatively affected by cyber victimization and cyberbullying. Hence, it is concluded that there was a prevalence of cyber victimization and cyberbullying at the university level in Punjab, and cyber victimization and cyberbullying results in high anxiety, lower self-esteem, and a high level of distress. There is a need for collaboration between government agencies and universities to protect students from the occurrence of cyberbullying.