Status and Risk Factors of Chinese Teenagers’ Exposure to Cyberbullying

Abstract

The debate over teenagers’ exposure to cyberbullying has aroused broad public concern, but there are few nationwide empirical studies on teen cyberbullying in China. Based on social cognitive theory, this study analyzes the current state of cyberbullying among Chinese teenagers using a questionnaire survey (N = 1,538) distributed to teenagers in eastern, central, and western regions of China. The results suggest that 18.1% (N = 279) of respondents reported having bullied someone and 54.6% (N = 839) reported having been bullied online, and that age, gender, individual school performance, and risky online behaviors may predict different cyberbullying behaviors. Enhancing teenagers’ awareness of the importance of protecting their personal information is critical, along with implementing social protective measures to contain cyberbullying.