Empathy and Theory of Mind Abilities Among Help-Seeking Adolescents with Different Cyberbullying Roles

Objective This study aimed to examine empathy and Theory of Mind (ToM) abilities among adolescents involved in cyberbullying and to identify the risk factors associated with different involvement roles. Methods A total of 244 adolescents were categorized into four groups based on the Revised Cyberbullying Inventory-II: cyberbully-victims (CBV, n = 110), pure cybervictims (CV, n = 53), pure cyberbullies (CB, n = 20), and non-involved controls (C, n = 61). ToM was assessed using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) and the Hinting Test (HT), while empathy was measured with the KA-SI Empathic Tendency Scale. Clinical evaluations were conducted using the K-SADS-5. Results The CBV group showed significantly lower HT and affective empathy scores, along with higher rates of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), compared to the control group. No significant differences were observed in RMET scores between groups. Logistic regression analyses indicated that higher affective empathy and HT scores reduced the risk of cyberbullying involvement, whereas an MDD diagnosis was a significant risk factor for both CBV and CB groups. Conclusions Understanding distinct profiles regarding ToM and empathy may inform targeted prevention and intervention strategies against cyberbullying. Additionally, integrating mental health assessments may further enhance the effectiveness of existing programs.