The Relationship Between Cyber Victimization, Cyberbullying, and Social Anxiety in Health Sciences Students

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the levels of cyberbullying and cyber victimization among health sciences students studying at a university and to examine the relationship of these factors with social anxiety. Methods: This relational descriptive study was conducted at the Faculty of Health Sciences of a public university in Istanbul between May and June 2024. The study sample consisted of 339 students. Data were collected using a personal information form including sociodemographic characteristics and internet usage information, the Cyber Victimization (CV) and Cyberbullying (CB) Scale, and the short form of the Social Anxiety (SA) Scale. Results: 10% of the students reported experiencing cyber victimization during high school, 2.9% during university, and 3.5% during both periods. Additionally, 38.6% stated that their friends had experienced cyber victimization. The mean score of the CV scale was 27.53±7.25, the CB scale was 25.52±5.29, and the SA scale was 26.1±8.99. A moderate positive correlation was found between cyber victimization and cyberbullying, and a weak positive correlation was found between cyber victimization and social anxiety. Conclusion: The rate of cyber victimization among health sciences students was found to be high. It is recommended that interventional studies and health education programs be implemented at universities to prevent cyberbullying and victimization and to reduce social anxiety.