The role of sex in the prevalence rates and psychological consequences of cyberbullying among learners in the Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

The study recorded the prevalence rates of cyberbullying and investigated its psychological outcomes among 324 secondary school learners in the Kgakotlou school circuit, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Learners completed an instrument consisting of objective questionnaires on cyberbullying, psychological distress and demographic details. Whereas the average rates of being cyberbullied were just below eight percent for the whole sample, females were the most cyberbullied (11%). Rates of cyberbullying were just over 5% and those of cyberbullied-bullying were just over 3%. Only the cyberbullying type main effect on psychological distress was found, with learners who were not cyberbullied reporting relatively less psychological distress. The sex variable renders unique findings in the study of cyberbullying involvement in the Kgakotlou district, a factor that must sensitize researchers to the uniqueness of cyberbullying experiences in a particular area of Limpopo, and South Africa. The same applies to experiences of psychological distress among cyberbullying-involved learners.

Keywords: Cyberbullying, learners, psychological distress