Res Community Public Health Nurs.  2023 Jun;34(2):135-146. 10.12799/rcphn.2023.00038.

Cyberbullying among University Students during the E-learning Transformation Era: The Role of the Student-Teacher Relationship and Virtual Classroom Community

• Sayed S
• AbuElEla L
• Sarhan A
• El Demerdash D

• KMID: 2551102
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12799/rcphn.2023.00038

Abstract

Purpose
The current study assesses cyberbullying among university students and explores the role of the student-teacher relationship and virtual classroom community.
Methods
A descriptive exploratory study on four randomly selected colleges at Damanhour University/Egypt. Participants were recruited conveniently using an equal allocation of 150 students/college (600 students). The European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (ECIPQ), Rovai's Classroom Community Scale (RCCS), and the Student Version of The Teacher-Student Relationship Inventory (S-STRI) were used for data collection.
Results
Low cyber victimization was reported by 66.5% of the students, while 39.8% reported low cyberaggression behaviors. The highest percent reported average virtual class connectedness (77.3%), learning experience (70.3%), and overall virtual classroom community (80.8%). Besides, highly satisfying teacher relationships (82.3%); average (38.8%) and low (35.8%) instrumental help; low conflict (68.0%); and average total teacher-student relationship (70.5%). Regression analysis revealed that the increased scores of the total teacher-student relationship scale (p<0.05) with its two domains [satisfaction and instrumental help (p<0.01)] and the total classroom community scale (p<0.05) with its domains [connectedness (p<0.01) and learning experience (p<0.05)] decreased the likelihood of cyber victimization and cyberaggression. However, perceived conflicting teacher relationships increased the likelihood of cyber victimization (p<0.05) and cyberaggression (p<0.01).
Conclusion
Cyberbullying is a concern among university students, and the students’ perceived nature of their relationships with their teachers and sense of virtual classroom community play a pivotal role in shaping their involvement in cyberaggression and exposure to cyber victimization. Thus, developing mass media campaigns to enhance awareness about cyberbullying and cyber civility regulations is recommended.

Keyword

Cyberbullying; Cyber-Victimization; Online Learning; University Students