Cyberbullying and its associated factors among junior high school students in Mahasarakham, Thailand

Cyberbullying is a public health concern among adolescents, influencing their health, well-being, and academic achievement. In addition, junior high school students are more susceptible to cyberbullying. However, little is known about cyberbullying, and efforts to ascertain its associated factors are scarce among Thai junior high school students. Thus, this study aims to investigate cyberbullying and its contributing factors. A cross-sectional design was conducted with 1,143 students from ten high schools in Mahasarakham Province, Thailand, from August 2023 to March 2024, using multistage sampling methods. The data were collected by a self-reported questionnaire, and multinomial logistic regression was applied to explore factors that influence cyberbullying victimization (CV). About 38.0% of students were female, with a median age of 13 years old. Approximately 50.7% reported a high level of CV, 74.3% had a high risk of internet behaviors, 44.5% were pathological internet users, and 57.1% had received information on preventing cyberbullying. Students who were LGBTQ or female, pathological or maladaptive internet users, and those with a high risk of internet behaviors had a higher CV. Additionally, increased CV was associated with authoritative parenting styles, a low to moderate resilience level, and having not received information on preventing cyberbullying. Students who experienced a higher CV were influenced by several potential factors, e.g., gender, internet behaviors, parenting styles, and resilience. Thus, it is essential to consider these factors when designing individual- or school-based interventions or anti-cyberbullying strategies to address and prevent CV among students.