Cyberbullying phenomenon: an investigation among Afghan university students

Figures & data

Table 1. Illustrates the respondents’ demographics

Gender
	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Male	474	75.4	75.4	75.4
Female	155	24.6	24.6	100.0
Total	629	100.0	100.0
Age
	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
18–25	427	67.9	67.9	67.9
26–29	140	22.3	22.3	90.1
above 30	62	9.9	9.9	100.0
Total	629	100.0	100.0
Internet Frequency
	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
1–3	403	64.1	64.1	64.1
3–5	144	22.9	22.9	87.0
more than 5	82	13.0	13.0	100.0
Total	629	100.0	100.0

Table 2. Shows the prevalence rates of CP

No	Cyber Perpetration	SD	D	N	A	SA	%	Mean
1	I quarrel with others via the Internet.	49.4	29.4	7.5	3.2	10.5	13.7	1.96
2	I share others’ secrets online unknowingly.	36.6	19.7	6.4	6.5	30.8	37.4	2.75
3	I send offensive posts about others for defamation.	45.2	25.3	6.7	5.2	17.6	22.9	2.25
4	I use social media to cause mental harm to others.	36.9	19.7	4.9	8.6	29.9	38.5	2.75
5	I send threatening e-mails.	26.6	14.8	4.0	13.8	40.9	54.7	3.28
6	I humiliate others online by spreading rumors.	38.5	19.6	3.2	5.7	33.1	38.8	2.75
7	I mock others through e-mails.	28.5	14.5	4.1	7.3	45.6	52.9	3.27
8	I harm others by posting their photos.	26.7	21.6	5.6	6.5	39.6	46.1	3.11
9	I bully others by disseminating false news.	23.7	11.0	2.2	14.9	48.2	63.1	3.53
10	I give up my real personality to hurt others online.	14.0	3.5	1.3	12.7	68.5	81.2	4.18
11	I delude others using social media.	32.8	22.7	4.0	11.8	28.8	40.5	2.81
12	I blackmail others by posting their porno photos to their pages.	30.8	17.6	4.1	4.6	42.8	47.4	3.11

Note. The acronyms SD stands for (strongly disagree), D (disagree) N (neutral) A (Agree) SA (strongly Agree)

Table 3. Shows the CV rates of the students

No	Cyber Victimization	SD	D	N	A	SA	%	Mean
1	I was scammed by an online account.	16.7	0.0	1.6	8.4	73.3	81.7	4.22
2	I received messages from fake accounts for defamation.	3.2	4.6	1.6	17.3	73.3	90.6	4.53
3	I received offensive messages from anonymous accounts.	3.2	0.0	1.6	21.9	73.3	95.2	4.62
4	I was lured by fake accounts into malicious links.	3.2	0.0	1.6	21.9	73.3	95.2	4.62
5	My photos were hacked and posted unknowingly by fake accounts.	3.2	0.0	1.6	21.9	73.3	95.2	4.62
6	I face threats to my safety by fake accounts.	3.0	0.6	1.1	21.9	73.3	95.2	4.62
7	I am subject to various cyberattacks to obtain my personal data.	3.0	0.6	1.1	17.8	77.4	95.2	4.66
8	I was forced into unbearable things by fake accounts.	12.1	6.2	1.6	6.8	73.3	80.1	4.23
9	I was blackmailed financially by fake accounts.	3.2	0.0	1.6	21.9	73.3	95.2	4.62
10	I was blackmailed sexually by fake accounts.	3.2	0.0	1.6	21.9	73.3	95.2	4.62
11	Fake accounts posted pornographic images to my page deliberately.	3.0	0.6	1.1	21.9	73.3	95.2	4.62
12	I was defamed by spreading rumors.	3.0	0.0	1.1	21.9	73.9	95.9	4.64
13	Fake accounts posted my edited personal photos deliberately.	3.0	0.0	1.1	21.9	73.9	95.9	4.64
14	After editing their content, my video clips were published.	3.2	0.0	1.6	21.9	73.3	95.2	4.62
15	I suffered from psychological stress with fake accounts.	3.2	0.0	1.4	21.9	73.4	95.4	4.62
16	Some online accounts made fun of me in public deliberately.	3.2	0.0	1.6	21.9	73.3	95.2	4.62
17	Fake accounts frequently contacted me for bullying	2.7	0.2	1.7	21.1	74.2	95.4	4.64

Table 4. Shows social media platforms major role in promoting the CB phenomenon

Social Media
Platforms	Frequency	Percent	Cumulative Percent
Twitter	24	3.8	3.8
Facebook	269	42.8	46.6
WhatsApp	124	19.7	66.3
Snapchat	10	1.6	67.9
Skype	10	1.6	69.5
Telegram	39	6.2	75.7
Emailing	48	7.6	83.3
Instagram	78	12.4	95.7
Other	27	4.3	100.0
Total	629	100.0

Table 5. Highlights the percentage and mean score of CV who do not report

No	Not Reporting Cyberbullying	SD	D	N	A	SA	%	Mean
1	I don’t think school staff would understand or believe me.	25.8	7.3	5.9	11.8	49.3	61.0	3.52
2	I don’t think the school would or could do anything to stop it.	25.3	9.1	5.9	10.8	49.0	59.8	3.49
3	I could get myself into trouble because I could also be at fault.	21.3	8.4	5.9	13.0	51.4	64.4	3.65
4	I could get myself into trouble even if I had done nothing wrong.	24.2	7.3	5.9	12.9	49.8	62.6	3.57
5	The cyberbully could get back at me and make things even worse.	19.7	11.0	5.9	14.3	49.1	63.4	3.62
6	Other students could make fun of me.	21.3	7.3	5.9	14.1	51.4	65.5	3.67
7	My parents could find out and might restrict my access to the Internet or other technologies.	20.3	9.5	5.9	13.2	51.0	64.2	3.65
8	I need to learn to deal with cyberbullying by myself.	22.3	13.8	6.8	10.5	46.6	57.1	3.45
9	Cyberbullying is no big deal. People should just ignore it	22.3	8.1	5.9	14.5	49.3	63.8	3.60

Table 6. The significant difference in the prevalence rates of CB according to gender

Independent Sample t-test		F	Sig.	t	df	Sig. (2-tailed)	Mean Difference
Cyber Perpetration	Equal variances assumed	6.747	0.010	9.303	627	0.000	0.90472
	Equal variances not assumed			10.363	321.275	0.000	0.90472
Cyber Victims	Equal variances assumed	0.432	0.511	−0.577	627	0.564	−0.05641
	Equal variances not assumed			−0.585	268.824	0.559	−0.05641

Table 7. Illustrates the significant difference in the prevalence rates of CB by age groups

ANOVA
		Sum of Squares	df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
C_P	Between Groups	2.934	2	1.467	1.169	.311
	Within Groups	785.365	626	1.255
	Total	788.299	628
C_V	Between Groups	12.399	2	6.200	5.634	.004
	Within Groups	688.881	626	1.100
	Total	701.281	628

Table 8. The significant difference in the prevalence rates of CB according to frequent use of the internet

ANOVA
		Sum of Squares	df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
Cyber Perpetration	Between Groups	2.284	2	1.142	.909	.403
	Within Groups	786.015	626	1.256
	Total	788.299	628
Cyber Victimization	Between Groups	9.096	2	4.548	4.113	.017
	Within Groups	692.185	626	1.106
	Total	701.281	628

Table 9. Shows the relationship between CP and CV

Correlations		Cyber Perpetration	Cyber Victimization
Cyber Perpetration	Pearson Correlation	1	.326**
	Sig. (2-tailed)		.000
	N	629	629
Cyber Victimization	Pearson Correlation	.326**	1
	Sig. (2-tailed)	.000
	N	629	629

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).