Influence of Forms of Cyberbullying on the Psychological Well-Being of Adolescents in Secondary Schools in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

Cyberbullying has been of both global and regional concern as digital technology has become part of teenagers’ lives, giving them a chance to engage with one another.  Due to persistent changes in cyberbullying forms and patterns, issues about the psychological well-being of adolescents have risen. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which cyberbullying influenced the psychological well-being of adolescents in selected secondary schools in Nairobi County; the study employed Survey and ex-post-facto designs. The population of the study was all the adolescents aged 13-8 attending the selected five (5) Secondary Schools in Nairobi County. A random sample of 318 adolescents was drawn from these. Data was collected using a modified version of the Cyberbullying Questionnaire by Hinduja and Patchin (2010), an Interview Schedule for School Principals and Teacher-Counselors, and a Focus Discussion Guide for discussants.  Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages). The study revealed that Cyberbullying had adverse mental health effects on adolescents, with the majority of those bullied exhibiting poor Psychological well-being. The study recommended that the Government, Ministry of Education, and Schools should put in place measures to curb cyberbullying in the internet spaces so as to promote sound Psychological wellbeing among adolescents.