An Examination of University Students’ Cyberbullying Experiences in terms of Gender Perception and Emotion Regulation Skills
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study aims to examine university students’ experiences of cyberbullying in relation to gender role perceptions and emotion regulation skills. The research was conducted with data obtained from 308 university students aged 18-29 who had social media accounts. Participants were recruited through the snowball sampling method. The data collection tools were the Personal Information Form, the Cyber Victimization and Bullying Scale, the Gender Perception Scale, and the Emotion Regulation Skills Scale. The data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0, and nonparametric tests were used for data that did not meet the assumptions of normality. The findings revealed no significant relationship between cyber victimization and gender role perceptions, whereas a weak negative relationship was found between cyberbullying and gender role perceptions. Specifically, individuals with more traditional gender role perceptions displayed higher tendencies toward cyberbullying. Furthermore, a weak negative relationship was detected between cyberbullying and emotion regulation skills. Negative correlations were particularly observed between cyberbullying and sub-dimensions such as attention to emotions, bodily awareness of emotions, understanding emotions, resilience, and self-support. In contrast, no significant association was identified between cyber victimization and emotion regulation skills. The results also indicated that students not only experienced victimization but also actively engaged in bullying behaviors. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of incorporating gender equality awareness and the enhancement of emotion regulation skills into intervention programs aimed at preventing cyberbullying.
Institution: İstanbul Esenyurt Üniversitesi
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7203462007