The relationship between internet addiction and peer bullying level of sixth and seventh grade secondary school students

PROBLEM: The research aimed to determine the relationship between internet addiction and peer bullying in sixth and seventh-grade students. METHOD: The population of the study consisted of students in the sixth and seventh grades of secondary schools in a province in eastern Turkey. The data were collected throughout the 2021-2022 academic year from 1201 sixth and seventh graders who voluntered to participate in the research. The data were collected using the Bullying Scale and the Internet Addiction Scale for Adolescents (IAA). FINDING: It was determined that gender, grade level, status of having a mobile phone, and age influenced children's participation in peer bullying. Also, variables of gender, grade level, and status of having a mobile phone affected internet addiction levels. Furthermore, when the correlation between the two scales was analyzed, a strong positive correlation was determined. CONCLUSIONS: In line with the findings of this study, interventions that may lower levels of bullying include delivering training on bullying and internet addiction to families, encouraging children to participate in activities that would reduce the amount of time they spend on the internet, and investigating the reasons for bullying.