Cyberbullying Roles and Somatic Symptoms in Early Adolescence: The Role of Cyberbystanders

Background

Cyberbullying is a significant public health issue among adolescents and is often examined through the lens of victim and perpetrator roles. However, the impact of cyberbullying on the health of witnesses has not been sufficiently researched. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between cyberbullying roles (being a victim, being a perpetrator, and being a witness) and somatic symptoms in individuals in early adolescence.

Methods

This school-based cross-sectional study included 1,573 adolescents aged 10–14 years. Data were collected using the Child Somatization Inventory-24 (CSI-24) and the Cyberbullying Triangulation Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression to determine the contribution of cyberbullying roles to somatic symptoms.

Results

The mean somatic symptom score was moderate. Cyberwitnessing had the highest mean score among the roles. Regression analysis showed that demographic variables and internet use explained 7.9% of the variance, rising to 12.8% with victimization and perpetration. In the final model, which explained 20% of the variance, cyberwitnessing was the strongest predictor (β = 0.317, p < 0.001), followed by victimization and perpetration.

Results

Witnessing cyberbullying is a potent psychosocial stressor linked to somatic symptoms, even for those not personally targeted. This necessitates a shift from binary victim-perpetrator models toward a broader social ecology perspective in public health nursing. Key actions include expanding school nursing screenings to identify somatic complaints among witnesses and integrating digital awareness into health promotion to mitigate peer aggression stress. Ultimately, holistic monitoring of digital environments strengthens surveillance and supports early detection for all at-risk students.

Key messages

• Witnessing cyberbullying predicts somatic symptoms in adolescents. Health screenings must extend beyond victims to include bystanders.

• Cyberbystanding’s link to somatization shows cyberbullying is a complex social process, requiring programs for all peer roles.