Understanding cyberbullying roles in primary school

Individual risk profiles and digital behavior patterns

Abstract

https://doi.org/10.21860/j.16.2.2  

This study investigates the prevalence and characteristics of distinct roles in cyberbullying: victims, perpetrators, and victim-perpetrators in elementary schools. The random sample consisted of 1.662 students from elementary schools in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, and the research was conducted using the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (ECIPQ). Participants were classified into cyberbullying roles based on their responses to ECIPQ and compared across a range of individual (gender, grade level, loneliness), digital (frequency and type of internet use), school-related (academic success, absenteeism), and family-related (parental relationship status) variables, as well as their tendency to report peer victimization. Based on the data, the most common role in cyberbullying was being non-involved, followed by victims, victim-perpetrators, and finally, perpetrators as the least common group. Findings revealed significant differences among the roles in nearly all examined domains. Victim-perpetrators reported the highest levels of loneliness, absenteeism, and internet use and were most likely to report experiences of victimization. Girls were more frequently classified as victims or victim-perpetrators, while students in higher grades showed greater involvement in cyberbullying. Reporting of peer victimization was significantly more common among students who experienced victimization. The role-based approach highlighted distinct patterns of emotional vulnerability and digital behavior, underscoring the need for early, targeted interventions focused on digital resilience, communication safety, and emotional support within elementary school environments.