The Relationship Between Cyberbullying and Academic Performance

Abstract

Cyberbullying is a widespread form of peer aggression among adolescents, yet the pathways linking it to school achievement remain insufficiently tested. This study examined the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and academic performance among 640 students in grades 8 to 12 from eight secondary schools. Victimization was measured with a 12-item frequency scale, psychological distress with the Kessler K6, and academic performance and absenteeism through school records. In total, 29.8% of students reported at least one cyberbullying incident in the previous six months. Mean end-of-term scores fell with victimization frequency, from 73.7% among non-victims to 68.2% for occasional and 62.8% for frequent victims, F(2, 637) = 29.93, p < .001, η² = .086. Victimization correlated negatively with performance (r = −.31) and remained a significant predictor after controlling for gender, grade, socioeconomic status, and online hours (β = −.27). Psychological distress and school absenteeism together accounted for 61.1% of the total association. The findings suggest that cyberbullying harms achievement largely through emotional and attendance pathways, which schools can monitor and address.