Cyberbullying and its Mental Health Impacts Among Adolescents in Jordan: The Moderating Role of Gender

Cyberbullying is a significant global issue because of its impact on adolescents’ mental health. While its prevalence is documented, there is limited information on cyberbullying in Jordan. This study investigates the prevalence of cyberbullying among Jordanian adolescents, its impact on their mental health, and the moderating role of gender in this relationship, using the Neuman Systems Model (NSM) as a framework. Following a cross-sectional design and multistage with quota sampling, 400 students ages 14–17 years (50% female, mean age 15.75) from public schools in central and northern Jordan answered measures on cyberbullying experiences, depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Binary logistics and multiple regression examined the associations between cyberbullying experience and mental health outcomes. Results show 93.7% have Internet access, 85.8% have 1–5 social media accounts, and 62.7% spend 1–7 hours online daily. About 72% reported involvement in cyberbullying, with slight gender differences. Among those involved, 30.8% were victims, 29.2% were bully victims, and 12% were bullies. Cyberbullying correlated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and loneliness (p <.001). Gender did not moderate the effect of cyberbullying on mental health outcomes (p >.05). The findings elucidate the significance of cyberbullying and its mental health impacts among adolescents in Jordan regardless of gender and provide valuable insights with implications for nursing research, education, and practice.