Supporting and Recovering University Students from the Effects of Cyberbullying: An Empirical Investigation from the Peers’ Perspectives

Author(s) : UmulQurra 1, Syed Abdul Waheed 2, Nadia Gilani 3.

Abstract:

With the rise of online interaction among young people, cyberbullying has become a pressing issue. Key social influences like friends, family, and university figures significantly shape adolescent behavior in this digital space. This research delves into the root causes, environments, and conditions that contribute to cyberbullying, along with the coping mechanisms employed by victims and the aftereffects of those strategies. To investigate these questions, researchers collected data from a randomized sample of 200 students. The self-developed questionnaire was divided into four parts with 32 questions about cyberbullying and 8 questions about the students themselves, i.e. age, gender, program, social media involvement, and physical & mental health. This helped them see if things like mental health or social media use affected the answers. To keep everything anonymous, they assigned codes to each survey instead of using names. They compared answers from different groups of students to see if there were any differences. This study is important because it can help us figure out how to stop teens from misusing technology and getting cyberbullied. Additionally, it aims to give the public the right direction to overcome cyberbullying if it happens to them.

Keywords: Peer support, cyberbullying, university students, recovery, reforms, higher education.