The Role of School Climate in Preventing Cyberbully Perpetration: Evaluating the Impact of Student-Teacher Relationships, Classmate Relationships, and Friend Support

Abstract

Cyberbullying perpetration among adolescents has emerged as a significant public health concern, characterised by aggressive acts facilitated through digital platforms. This research explored which aspect of the school climate—perceived student-teacher relationship quality, perceived classmate relationship quality, or perceived friend support—serves as the strongest protective factor against cyberbullying among adolescents. Data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) 2021 survey, consisting of 6851 adolescents aged 9 to 20 years old, were used. A logistic regression revealed that positive relationships with classmates, friend support and student-teacher relationships are significant protective factors against cyberbullying isolation. However, when combined, positive classmate relationship was not significant. Positive student-teacher relationship emerged as the most influential predictor. Because of this, the study concludes that schools should implement practices to improve student-teacher relationships.