Skip to content
2000
image of School Bullying and Cyberbullying Among Tunisian High School Adolescents

Abstract

Introduction

School bullying and cyberbullying have emerged as major public health concerns among adolescents, with significant psychological, social, and academic consequences. In the context of increasing digital media use, understanding the prevalence of these phenomena and their associated factors is essential, particularly in underexplored settings such as Tunisia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of school bullying and cyberbullying and to identify individual and environmental characteristics associated with victimization.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on high school students in the Sfax region in February 2022. A 33-question form assessed sociodemographic data. Bullying was measured using the Multidimensional Peer-Victimization Scale, and cyberbullying using the Cyber-Harassment Student Survey.

Results

Out of a total of 396 secondary school students recruited in this study, 223 (56.3%) were victims of bullying, 186 (47%) were victims of cyberbullying, and 140 (35.4%) were victims of both types of bullying. The profiles of the victims of bullying and cyberbullying were comparable. The risk factors identified across the three groups in our sample were primarily family and/or school problems.

Discussion

In the present study, the prevalence of school bullying was 55.6%, and social manipulation was the most frequent form of school bullying, followed by verbal victimization and attack on property. The high proportion of victimization by social manipulation is worrying, as it suggests the existence of a social problem that can have considerable effects on the emotional and social development of adolescents. The prevalence of cyberbullying in our study was 46.7%. This prevalence is also said to have increased over the years. The social, demographic, family, and environmental characteristics of teenage victims of school bullying and cyberbullying may differ. Nevertheless, it is crucial to understand the factors that contribute to these situations so that we can provide the necessary help to the teenagers concerned.

Conclusion

The study reveals a high prevalence of school bullying and cyberbullying among Tunisian adolescents, often co-occurring. Individual and environmental factors significantly influence the persistence of bullying, underscoring the need for effective interventions.

© 2026 Bentham Science Publishers
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/aps/10.2174/0122106766350150251119101400
2026-01-15
2026-01-30

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/aps/10.2174/0122106766350150251119101400
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Abida B. Violence in Schools: A sociological study in the middle schools of the City of Sfax. J. Social Sci. 2023 7 1 215
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Al-Darmaki F. Al Sabbah H. Haroun D. Prevalence of Bullying Behaviors Among Students From a National University in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Study. Front. Psychol. 2022 13 768305 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.768305 35548490
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Alonso C. Romero E. Aggressors and victims in bullying and cyberbullying: A study of personality profiles using the five-factor model. Span. J. Psychol. 2017 20 E76 10.1017/sjp.2017.73 29199631
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Baldry A.C. Blaya C. Farrington D. P. (Eds.). International perspectives on cyberbullying: Prevalence, risk factors and interventions 2018 10.1007/978‑3‑319‑73263‑3
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Barlett C.P. Kowalski R.M. Wilson A.M. Meta-analyses of the predictors and outcomes of cyberbullying perpetration and victimization while controlling for traditional bullying perpetration and victimization. Aggress. Violent. Behav. 2024 74 101886 10.1016/j.avb.2023.101886
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Chan K.L. Child victims and poly-victims in China: Are they more at-risk of family violence? Child Abuse Negl. 2014 38 11 1832 1839 10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.05.006 24933708
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Cross D. Lester L. Barnes A. A longitudinal study of the social and emotional predictors and consequences of cyber and traditional bullying victimisation. Int. J. Public Health 2015 60 2 207 217 10.1007/s00038‑015‑0655‑1 25645100
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Ding Y. Li D. Li X. Xiao J. Zhang H. Wang Y. Profiles of adolescent traditional and cyber bullying and victimization: The role of demographic, individual, family, school, and peer factors. Comput. Human Behav. 2020 111 106439 10.1016/j.chb.2020.106439
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Elgar FJ Napoletano A Saul G Dirks MA Craig W Poteat VP Holt M Koenig BW Cyberbullying victimization and mental health in adolescents and the moderating role of family dinners. JAMA Pediatr 2014 168 11 1015 1022 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2014.1223 25178884
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Fougeret-Linlaud V. Harcèlement entre pairs en milieu scolaire. J. Pediatr. Pueric. 2022 35 4 179 188 10.1016/j.jpp.2022.05.008
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Henares-Montiel J. Benítez-Hidalgo V. Ruiz-Pérez I. Pastor-Moreno G. Rodríguez-Barranco M. Cyberbullying and Associated factors in member countries of the European Union: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies with representative population samples. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022 19 12 7364 10.3390/ijerph19127364 35742613
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Hosozawa M. Bann D. Fink E. Elsden E. Baba S. Iso H. Patalay P. Bullying victimisation in adolescence: Prevalence and inequalities by gender, socioeconomic status and academic performance across 71 countries. EClinicalMedicine 2021 41 101142 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.101142 34693231
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Humphrey J.L. Storch E.A. Geffken G.R. Peer victimization in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. J. Child Health Care 2007 11 3 248 260 10.1177/1367493507079571 17709359
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Jansen P.W. Verlinden M. Berkel A.D. Mieloo C. van der Ende J. Veenstra R. Verhulst F.C. Jansen W. Tiemeier H. Prevalence of bullying and victimization among children in early nlmary school: Do family and school neighbourhood socioeconomic status matter? BMC Public Health 2012 12 1 494 10.1186/1471‑2458‑12‑494 22747880
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Joti I. Haris N. Addiction aux outils numériques et les interactions sociales en jeu après la pandémie de la COVID-19 [Digital addiction and social interactions at play after the COVID-19 pandemic]. Journal of Nursing and Biomedical Science 2022 1 1 Retrieved from https://revues.imist.ma/index.php/JNBS/article/download/33597/17344/89269
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Kowalski R.M. Giumetti G.W. Schroeder A.N. Lattanner M.R. Bullying in the digital age: A critical review and meta-analysis of cyberbullying research among youth. Psychol. Bull. 2014 140 4 1073 1137 10.1037/a0035618 24512111
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Krešić Ćorić M. Kaštelan A. Bullying through the Internet - Cyberbullying. Psychiatr. Danub. 2020 32 269 272 32970646
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Laffan D. Slonje R. Ledwith C. O’Reilly C. Foody M. Scoping bullying and cyberbullying victimisation among a sample of gifted adolescents in Ireland. Int. J. Bullying Prev. 2022 2 1 15 10.1007/s42380‑022‑00134‑w
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Li T.B.Q. Cyber-Harassment: A study of a new method for an old behavior. Journal of Educational Computing Research 2005 32 3 265 277 10.2190/8YQM‑B04H‑PG4D‑BLLH
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Menesini E. Nocentini A. Palladino B.E. Frisén A. Berne S. Ortega-Ruiz R. Calmaestra J. Scheithauer H. Schultze-Krumbholz A. Luik P. Naruskov K. Blaya C. Berthaud J. Smith P.K. Cyberbullying definition among adolescents: A comparison across six European countries. Cyberpsychol. Behav. Soc. Netw. 2012 15 9 455.Sep
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Marks D.F. The Health. Psychology Reader. Sage. Mental health of adolescents. 2025. 2002 Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/factsheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
  22. Moore S.E. Norman R.E. Suetani S. Thomas H.J. Sly P.D. Scott J.G. Consequences of bullying victimization in childhood and adolescence: A systematic review and meta-analysis. World J. Psychiatry 2017 7 1 60 76 10.5498/wjp.v7.i1.60 28401049
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Murphy T.P. Laible D. Augustine M. The influences of parent and peer attachment on bullying. J. Child Fam. Stud. 2017 26 5 1388 1397 10.1007/s10826‑017‑0663‑2 30828238
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Mynard H. Joseph S. Development of the multidimensional peer-victimization scale. Aggress. Behav. 2000 26 2 169 178 10.1002/(SICI)1098‑2337(2000)26
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Olumide A.O. Adams P. Amodu O.K. Prevalence and correlates of the perpetration of cyberbullying among in-school adolescents in Oyo State, Nigeria. Int. J. Adolesc. Med. Health 2016 28 2 183 191 10.1515/ijamh‑2015‑0009 26251981
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Olweus D. Cyberbullying: An overrated phenomenon? Eur. J. Dev. Psychol. 2012 9 5 520 538 10.1080/17405629.2012.682358
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Patchin J.W. Hinduja S. Bullies move beyond the schoolyard. Youth Violence Juv. Justice 2006 4 2 148 169 10.1177/1541204006286288
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Sahli J. Mellouli M. El Ghardallou M. Limam M. Gallas M. Ammar A. Mtiraoui A. Ajmi T.N. Zedini C. Bullying among tunisian middle school students: the prevalence, psychosocial associated factors and perceived involvement of parents, teachers and classmates. J. Res. Health Sci. 2018 18 2 e00414 29784895
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Schneider S.K. O’Donnell L. Stueve A. Coulter R.W.S. Cyberbullying, school bullying, and psychological distress: A regional census of high school students. Am. J. Public Health 2012 102 1 171 177 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300308 22095343
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Subramaniam M. Shahwan S. Abdin E. Verma S. Gupta B. Chua B.Y. Zhang Y. Sambasivam R. Chong S.A. Prevalence and impact of peer victimisation among youth seeking treatment at a tertiary psychiatric institution in Singapore: A cross-sectional study. Ann. Gen. Psychiatry 2022 21 1 47 10.1186/s12991‑022‑00424‑z 36434714
    [Google Scholar]
  31. School Violence and Bullying: Global Status Report. Available from: [https://healtheducationresources.unesco.org/library/documents/school-violence-and-bullying-global-status-report]
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Tippett N. Wolke D. Socioeconomic status and bullying: A meta-analysis. Am. J. Public Health 2014 104 6 e48 e59 10.2105/AJPH.2014.301960 24825231
    [Google Scholar]
  33. UNICEF. (2024) Cyberbullying: What it is and how to stop it—What teens want to know about cyberbullying 2024 https://www.unicef.org/stories/how-to-stop-cyberbullying
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Waasdorp T.E. Bradshaw C.P. The overlap between cyberbullying and traditional bullying. J. Adolesc. Health 2015 56 5 483 488 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.12.002 25631040
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Ybarra M.L. Diener-West M. Leaf P.J. Examining the overlap in internet harassment and school bullying: implications for school intervention. J. Adolesc. Health 2007 41 6 S42 S50 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.09.004 18047944
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Zaborskis A. Ilionsky G. Tesler R. Heinz A. The association between cyberbullying, school bullying, and suicidality among adolescents. Crisis 2019 40 2 100 114 10.1027/0227‑5910/a000536 30109963
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Zhu C. Huang S. Evans R. Zhang W. Cyberbullying among adolescents and children: A comprehensive review of the global situation, risk factors, and preventive measures. Front. Public Health 2021 9 634909 10.3389/fpubh.2021.634909 33791270
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/aps/10.2174/0122106766350150251119101400
Loading
School Bullying and Cyberbullying Among Tunisian High School Adolescents
Bentham Science Publishers ; https://doi.org/10.2174/0122106766350150251119101400
/content/journals/aps/10.2174/0122106766350150251119101400
/content/journals/aps/10.2174/0122106766350150251119101400
Loading

Data & Media loading...


  • Article Type:     Research Article
Keywords: high school ; multidimensional peer victimization scale ; risk factors ; adolescents ; Cyberbullying ; school bullying

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test