The Impact of Cyberbullying Victimization on Adolescents’ School-Related Distress Across Nine Countries: Examining the Mitigating Role of Teacher Support

The pervasive integration of technology into the daily lives of children and adolescents, coupled with the popularity and extensive use of social media by this age group, has raised significant concerns, highlighting cyberbullying victimization as a serious global public health issue that requires further investigation. The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of cyberbullying victimization above and beyond traditional forms of peer victimization on adolescents’ school-related distress using a sample of 28,883 adolescents across nine countries. This study also assessed the moderating role of teacher support on the association between cyberbullying victimization and school-related distress. The results of structural equation modeling suggested that adolescents who experienced higher levels of victimization (both traditional and cyber) scored significantly higher on school-related distress. In addition, the main effect of cyberbullying victimization above and beyond traditional forms of peer victimization on school-related distress was significant. More importantly, cyberbullied victims who perceived their teachers as supportive reported lower school-related distress compared to their peers with low teacher support. As technology continues to become more accessible in both homes and educational settings, the findings of this study underscore the need to address cyberbullying as a distinct phenomenon posing unique challenges for adolescents and requiring targeted intervention strategies. In addition, the findings contribute to understanding a more comprehensive portrait of adolescent development and how social support influences adolescents’ well-being.