Relationship between secondary school students' perceptions of moral values in the digital environment and cyber bullying behavior

In this study, it was aimed to "examine the relationship between middle school students' perceptions of moral values in the digital environment and cyberbullying behavior". The research was conducted using the "relational survey model". The population of the study consists of primary school 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade students studying in official public schools in Ferizli District of Sakarya province in the 2022-2023 academic year. The sample of the study consists of 386 individuals, 196 (50.8%) girls and 190 (49.2%) boys, selected by convenience sampling method from the specified population. Personal information form, Perceptions of Moral Values in Digital Environments Scale, Cyberbullying Scale were used as data collection tools. In statistical analysis; In statistical analysis, independent groups t-test, one way-ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis were used in the scale of perceptions of moral values in digital environments. Mann Whitney U Test, Kruskall Wallis H Test, Spearman Correlation analysis were used in the cyberbullying scale. When the research findings were examined, it was determined that the difference was significant in the participants' level of parental education, hiding identity on the internet, sharing photos without permission, whether cyberbullying is bad or not, being exposed to cyberbullying and friendship relations in the sub-dimension of fairness-responsibility, which is the sub-dimension of perception towards moral values in digital environments. In the compassion-honesty sub-dimension, it was determined that the difference was significant in class level, school location, parents' education level, internet usage time, having a smartphone, having a computer, hiding identity on the internet, safe internet knowledge, being exposed to cyberbullying and friendships. In the privacy-courteousness sub-dimension, age, school location, mother's education level, safe internet knowledge, exposure to cyberbullying and friendships were also found to be significant. In the total perception of moral values in digital environments, age, grade level, parental education level, internet usage time, hiding identity on the internet, safe internet knowledge, sharing photos without permission, whether cyberbullying is bad or not, being exposed to cyberbullying and friendships were also found to be significant. It was found that the difference in the cyberbullying scores of the participants was significant in class level, parental education level, internet usage time, having a smartphone, having a computer, hiding identity on the internet, sharing photos without permission, whether cyberbullying is bad or not, and friendship relations. Significant negative relationships were found between the perception of moral values in digital environments and its sub-dimensions and cyberbullying. As a result, it can be said that an increase in perception towards moral values has a decreasing effect on cyberbullying.