Cyber victimization with increasing digitization during the COVID-19 pandemic and coping strategies used by adolescents

Abstract

Pandemics, a current and important public health problem, can increase the risk of cyberbullying. Especially in adolescence, knowledge about coping with this type of victimization is limited. This study aimed to reveal the cyberbullying victimization experiences of adolescents with the increased digitalization during the pandemic and the coping strategies they employed. The study is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. The research sample consists of adolescents (n = 344). The data were collected online using Personal Information Form, Cyber Victim Scale, and Coping with Cyberbullying Scale. The mean Cyber Victim Scale score of the adolescents was 21.97 ± 5.83, and the mean Coping with Cyberbullying Scale score was 63.33 ± 9.06. It was found that the increase in the frequency of Internet use, the change in the purpose of Internet use during the pandemic, and the sharing of the negative experiences with others negatively affect cyber victimization (p < 0.05). In today's world where digitalization is increasing, it is recommended to provide interdisciplinary trainings to adolescents, to include families in various trainings with school–family cooperation, and to receive support from nurses in this process.