Kunwar S, Sharma S, Marasini S, Joshi A, Adhikari A, Ranjit A, Byanju Shrestha I, Shrestha A, Shrestha AK, Karmacharya BM. Cyberbullying and cyber-victimisation among higher secondary school adolescents in an urban city of Nepal: a cross-sectional study.
BMJ Open 2024;
14:e081016. [PMID:
38448066 PMCID:
PMC10916119 DOI:
10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081016]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence and factors associated with cyberbullying and cyber-victimisation among high school adolescents of Pokhara Metropolitan City, Nepal.
DESIGN
A cross-sectional study.
SETTING
Pokhara Metropolitan City, Nepal.
PARTICIPANTS
We used convenient sampling to enrol 450 adolescents aged 16-19 years from four distinct higher secondary schools in Pokhara Metropolitan City.
OUTCOME MEASURES
We administered the Cyberbullying and an Online Aggression Survey to determine the prevalence of cyberbullying and cyber-victimisation. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the ORs and 95% CIs. Data were analysed using STATA V.13.
RESULTS
The 30-day prevalence of cyberbullying and cyber-victimisation was 14.4% and 19.8%, and the over-the-lifetime prevalence was 24.2% and 42.2%, respectively. Posting mean or hurtful comments online was the most common form of both cyberbullying and cyber-victimisation. Compared with females, males were more likely to be involved in cyberbullying (adjusted OR (AOR)=13.52; 95% CI: 6.04 to 30.25; p value <0.001) and cyber-victimised (AOR=2.22; 95% CI: 1.33 to 3.73; p value <0.05). Using the internet almost every day was associated with cyberbullying (AOR=9.44; 95% CI: 1.17 to 75.79; p value <0.05) and cyber-victimisation (AOR=4.96; 95% CI: 1.06 to 23.18; p value <0.05). Students from urban place of residence were associated with both cyberbullying (AOR=2.45; 95% CI: 1.23 to 4.88; p value <0.05) and cyber-victimisation (AOR=1.77; 95% CI: 1.02 to 3.05; p value <0.05).
CONCLUSION
The study recommends the implementation of cyber-safety educational programmes, and counselling services including the rational use of internet and periodic screening for cyberbullying in educational institutions. The enforcement of strong anti-bullying policies and regulations could be helpful to combat the health-related consequences of cyberbullying.
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