The effects of psychological resilience, self-efficacy and metacognition on cyberbullying among adolescents

Abstract

Cyberbullying, which has become more widespread with individuals' increased use of technology, occurs when someone or a group of people intentionally harms by using technology. Millions of adolescents spend time in the online environment, yet little is known about the effects of psychological resilience, self-efficacy, and metacognition on the risk of cyberbullying. A total of 574 high school students were recruited and instructed on the Sociodemographic Questionnaire, Cyberbullying Scale (CBS), Child and Youth Psychological Resilience Scale (CYPRS), Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C), and Metacognitions Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (MCQ-C). A negative correlation was found between education level, the CYPRS, the SEQ-C and the CBS. All subtests of the MCQ-C was positively correlated with the CBS. Regression analysis revealed that CYPRS and the negative meta-worry subtest of the MCQ-C predict the CBS. Our study revealed the importance of psychological resilience and negative meta-worry in cyberbullying among adolescents. Strengthening psychological resilience may be a useful strategy for reducing the detrimental impacts of cyberbullying on adolescents. Metacognitive psychotherapy models that focus on negative meta-worry and improving psychological resilience by psychotherapeutic methods may be a useful strategy for reducing the detrimental impacts of cyberbullying on adolescents. Further longitudinal studies are required to foster the established association between these constructs.