Unravelling cyberbullying among Egyptian adolescents: the protective influence of self-control and moral identity with gender and socioeconomic dynamics.

BACKGROUND

Cyberbullying presents a significant challenge for adolescents, leading to severe psychological and social consequences. This study explores the relationships between cyberbullying, self-control, and moral identity among Egyptian school students, considering gender and socioeconomic factors from a nursing perspective.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational study was conducted among 304 preparatory and secondary school students aged 12-20 years in Egypt. Data were collected through a validated online questionnaire incorporating standardized tools to assess cyberbullying involvement, self-control, and moral identity. Statistical analyses included correlation and regression to examine the relationships between study variables. Ethical approval was secured, and informed consent was obtained from participants and legal guardians.

RESULTS

Findings revealed that 78.6% of students had low cyberbullying involvement, 58.6% exhibited moderate self-control, and 78.6% demonstrated high moral identity. Self-control showed a significant negative correlation with cyberbullying (r = -0.32, p < 0.001) and emerged as a strong predictor of lower cyberbullying engagement (β = -0.287, p < 0.001). Although moral identity did not directly predict cyberbullying, gender moderated its influence (β = -0.221, p = 0.006). Socioeconomic status did not significantly mediate the relationships among self-control, moral identity, and cyberbullying.

CONCLUSION

Self-control serves as a critical protective factor against cyberbullying among adolescents, while moral identity's role appears to be gender dependent. These findings emphasize the necessity of targeted interventions in school health programs to enhance self-regulation and ethical awareness among students. Psychiatric and school nurses should integrate cyberbullying prevention strategies into educational initiatives, reinforcing self-control development and ethical reasoning. Future research should further explore psychological and social determinants of cyberbullying and evaluate the effectiveness of nursing-led interventions in adolescent populations.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

Not applicable.