Public Policies on Bullying and Cyberbullying and their Impact on Students' Self-Esteem

Introduction: School bullying and cyberbullying are public health issues that affect students’ social-emotional well-being. They are addressed through the analysis of public policies, which are management strategies designed to respond to social situations through prevention and continuous improvement strategies aimed at curbing school violence. The objective was to determine the impact of public policies on school bullying and cyberbullying on students’ self-esteem. Methodology: Quantitative, correlational-predictive, cross-sectional, and non-experimental approach. Results: A moderate positive correlation was observed between school bullying and cyberbullying (r = 0.613; p < 0.01), suggesting that greater physical violence is associated with increased cyberbullying behaviors. In addition, a negative correlation was observed between school bullying and self-esteem (r = -0.094; p < 0.01) and between cyberbullying and self-esteem (r = -0.160; p < 0.01), indicating a weak relationship of low magnitude; however, an increase in both phenomena is associated with lower levels of self-esteem. Conclusions: The scope of public policies in the educational context regarding school bullying and cyberbullying is limited, reinforcing the need to strengthen preventive actions and immediate responses with measures specific to each context. Recommendations: Institutional interventions should aim to reduce victimization and mitigate the psychological effects on self-esteem through psychoeducational support and timely guidance.