Cyberbullying and Empathy Levels in Adolescents and Predictive Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study aimed to investigate cyberbullying prevalence, empathy levels, and their predictors among adolescents in Turkiye.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 303 adolescents (aged 10-13) from two secondary schools. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form; the Cyberbullying Triangle Scale; and the Cognitive, Emotional, and Physical Empathy Scale for Children. Linear regression analyses were conducted. Ethical and institutional approvals were obtained.

The mean age was 11.79 ± 0.89, and 47.2% were female. Half of the adolescents spent ≤2 h online daily, mainly for gaming and social media. Cyberbully, victim, and bystander rates were 23.8%, 35.3%, and 51.2%, respectively. The empathy mean score was 34.17 ± 11.95. Cyberbullying involvement was associated with longer internet use (β = 0.340), active social media use (β = 0.249), and lower empathy (β = -0.723). Empathy was higher among females (β = 0.187) and successful students (β = -0.152), and lower among cyberbullies (β = -0.497).

Most adolescents were involved in cyberbullying, primarily as bystanders, followed by victims and perpetrators. Internet and social media use predicted cyberbullying, while sex and academic achievement predicted empathy. Programs enhancing empathy and safe internet use led by school nurses are recommended.