Prevalence and Perspectives of Cyberbullying Victimisation and Its Effect on Mental Health Among Students in Public Higher Education Institutions in the East Coast Region

Introduction: Cyberbullying has emerged as a prevalent issue, were perpetrators harm victims through technology, often anonymously. It is also has been linked with significant negative outcomes in psychological aspects such as social anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, affective disorders, sleeping and eating disorders. Thus, this study aims to examine the association between students' socio-demographics, their experience of cyberbullying and its psychological effects among Public Higher Education Institutions (IPTA) students in the East Coast region. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among 355 IPTA students in East Coast region by using a convenient sampling. The online survey was distributed consist mainly of 3 parts, sociodemographic data, perspective and experiences of being cyberbullied and DASS-21 questionnaires. Results: 36.6% students have experienced of being cyberbullied, with 19.6% have been cyberbullied almost every day. However, 23.3% reported that the cyberbullying was not harsh at all, 11.4% harsh and 2.0% really harsh. About 24.1% respondents do not have an impact at all, 10.5% have small impact and 2.0% have huge impact on daily life. There was no significant difference between gender and year of study concerning the experience of being cyberbullied among undergraduate IPTA students in the East Coast region (p-value>0.05). However, age showed a significant association with the experience of being cyberbullied (p-value0.05), but age significantly influenced perspectives on cyberbullying (p-value<0.05). Conclusion: This study suggest that the emotional impact of cyberbullying varies based on individual circumstances and personal perspectives on cyberbullying. Future research should explore the underlying factors contributing to the higher prevalence of cyberbullying among female students and those aged 22-23.