Cyberbullying among children and youth in Türkiye: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Problem: It has been reported in various studies that identifying risk and protective factors and outcomes of cyberbullying perpetration (CP) and cyberbullying victimization (CV) is crucial for educational strategies to fight against cyberbullying. The main purpose of the present study is to conduct a meta-analysis and systematic review to identify which risk and protective factors are more strongly associated with CP/CV and possible consequences of CP/CV among children and youth in Turkiye.Eligibility criteria: Various databases, including PubMed, Web of Science (WoS), ProQuest, ERIC, SCOPUS, Turkish Psychiatry Index, DergiPark, and National Dissertation/Thesis Center of Turkiye were searched to identify relevant studies.Sample: Fifty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria included in the present study.Results: Results revealed that the strongest risk factor was traditional bullying for CP (r = 0.47, p < .001) and traditional victimization for CV (r = 0.43, p < .001). The strongest protective factor was social skill for CP (r =-0.45, p < .001) and empathy for CV (r =-0.25, p < .001). In addition, involvement in CP behaviors had the strongest effect on negative self-concept (r = 0.28, p < .001), while exposure to CV on anxiety (r = 0.35, p < .001).Conclusions: Although this study has some limitations, the study's findings are important source of information for many professionals, such as pediatric nurses, school psychological counselors, psychologists, and policy makers to further educational strategies for children and young people in Turkiye.Implications: The study findings would be useful for developing educational programs to strengthen protective factors and reduce risk factors to prevent cyberbullying perpetration behaviors.