Examination of cyberbullying among adolescents in relation to risky behaviors

Bullying is a deliberate and persistent form of violence carried out through physical, verbal, direct, or indirect means. Cyberbullying, on the other hand, refers to bullying behaviors perpetrated by an individual or group towards another individual or group through various technological tools. This study aims to investigate cyberbullying observed among middle and high school students in Turkey in terms of risky behaviors. A secondary aim of the research is to examine cyberbullying and risky behaviors among middle and high school students with respect to sociodemographic variables. To achieve these, a relational design based on the quantitative research approach was employed. The population and sample of the study consist of middle and high schools in the province of Artvin during the 2022-2023 academic year. Data collection tools included the Sociodemographic Data Collection Form, the Risky Behaviors Scale, and the Cyberbullying Scale. The data obtained from the participants were analyzedusing SPSS 24.0. According to the findings, a statistically significant relationship was identified between risky behaviors and cyberbullying. Risky behaviors were found to have a positive and significant impact on cyberbullying among middle and high school students. Additionally, factors such as gender, type of school, grade level, daily internet usage, parental attitudes, domestic violence, and peer and family problems were observed to have statisti cally significant relationships with risky behaviors and cyberbullying among students. Based on the findings, several recommendations were proposed at the conclusion of the study to prevent risky behaviors and cyberbullying among middle and high school students.