Currently submitted to: JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting
Date Submitted: Jan 25, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Feb 3, 2026 - Mar 31, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Understanding Adolescents’ Experiences of Cyberbullying in Jordan: Evidence from a Narrative Perspective
ABSTRACT
Background:
Based on its nature, cyberbullying is expected to be frequent and prevalent because of the continuity in technological advancement over time. This change results in more victims and is challenging to detect, negatively impacting their health. Given that adolescents in Jordan face a high rate of cyberbullying, it is essential to understand how this experience affects them.
Objective:
Objective:
the current study sought to explore individual experiences and perspectives on cyberbullying victimization among adolescents to intervene and reduce future incidences of cyberbullying.
Methods:
Method: The analysis was based on a cross-sectional study investigating cyberbullying and its mental health consequences among 400 students between the ages of 14 -17 from public schools in central and northern Jordan. Those respondents were asked to answer three open-ended questions describing their experiences with cyberbullying if they experienced cyber victimization as either victims or bully-victims, resulting in 240 responses. Thematic analysis was then used to interpret patterns of shared meaning across participants' narratives related to cyberbullying experiences in cyberspace.
Results:
Results:
three key themes and several subthemes emerged from this study: (a) effects of cyberbullying, (b) challenges in overcoming its consequences, and (c) elements influencing the severity of cyberbullying experiences.
Conclusions:
Conclusion: the findings offer valuable insights for creating safer online environments and reducing cyberbullying’s psychological and social harms through appropriate interventions.
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Copyright
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