THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS OF CYBERBULLYING ON THE

MENTAL HEALTH OF GRADE 11 STUDENTS

A Research Paper Presented to the Faculty of the

Senior High School Department

Silliman University

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

Research in Daily Life 1

October 2021
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THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS OF CYBERBULLYING IN SOCIAL MEDIA ON

THE MENTAL HEALTH OF STUDENTS

Introduction

Social media originated and launched in 1997, which continues to develop and

unfold up to date. According to Manning J. (2014), social media "is the term that

frequently refers to the modern modes of media that connect and have interactive

participation." With the aid of social media, traditional or old communication norms are

slowly fading. Examples of social media platforms that are famous today such as

Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. These social media platforms and

applications empower us to interact and converse with others no matter the location. It

has become an indispensable role in our lives, especially in communication and daily

activity. Moreover, the evolution of social media has given benefits and opportunities to

all of us.

Regardless of the benefits and opportunities are given by social media and

technology, there are also setbacks and detrimental effects, including cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying is bullying that utilizes digital devices. StopBullying.gov(2021) explained

that Cyberbullying could take place offline and online. They also stated that sending,

posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone is

acknowledged as cyberbullying. It can involve shame or embarrassment through

sharing confidential or private information about another individual and even cross the

line into illegal or criminal action.

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Cyberbullying is one of the crucial issues on the mental health of students and

teenagers. Ruairi Quinn, TD, said that "Things were serious enough when bullying was

constricted to the playground or school, but now it can accompany you home in your

pocket."' Being targeted by a cyberbully may increase the person's risk of mental

problems such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, or feelings of worthlessness. (Eric

C. Alcera, 2020). It poses a significant public health problem linked to psychological

discomforts such as depressive symptoms, self-injurious conduct, and suicidal

thoughts. It can also destroy self-esteem, social isolation, poor academic performance,

and difficulty forming healthy relationships with students. (John Tsilimparis, 2017).

Young individuals who were victims of cyberbullying even had more sleep issues and

wet their beds than their non-victimized classmates. (Monks et al., 2009).

'What makes cyberbullying so dangerous… is that anyone can practice it without

having to confront the victim. You do not have to be strong or fast, equipped with a cell

phone or computer and a willingness to terrorize' (King,2006; Kowalksi, Limber, &

Agatston 2012 "p. 1"). Cyberbullying has been identified as a significant problem among

the youth in the last decade (Slonje, Smith, & Frisén, 2013). Cyberbullying is often

characterized as an act of aggression committed against a person who cannot easily

defend themself in an electronic context (Kowalski, Limber, & Agatston 2012; Patchin &

Hinduja 2012; Kowalski, Giumetti, Schroeder, & Lattanner 2014). Cyberbullying can be

in different forms, affect different ages and any gender.

The bullied can experience depression, fear, and stress related to the incident

(National Education Association, 2008, ¶ 4; Oliver & Fegenbush 2009, "p.17"). As a

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result, bullying can negatively affect the victim's educational achievements, attendance,

and future aspirations (Kowalski et al., 2008; Oliver & Fegenbush 2009, "p.17"). It is no

surprise that bullied people are more likely to consider or attempt suicide than those

who are not bullied (Sampson,2002; Oliver & Fegenbush 2009, "p.17"). the following are

some of the reasons why bullied people remain silent: (a) Fear of retaliation for

Cyberbullying 18; (b) feelings of shame for being weak; (c) fear of not being believed;

(d) a desire not to worry their parents; (e) beliefs that nothing would change if they told;

(f) beliefs that involving parents and teachers would make it worse; (g) beliefs that

teachers would tell or involve the bully; and (h) fears of being labeled a snitch. (2002,

Sampson; Oliver & Fegenbush 2009, "p.18")

Over the prior years, numerous studies have been made on the consequences of

cyberbullying on students and even ways to mitigate and stop cyberbullying, among

these studies done by Wang, CW., Musumari, P.M., Techasrivichien, T. et al. (2019),

Moules and O'Brien (2010), Fjeld, Sara & Reme, Silje & Mossige, Svein. (2020), Kaiser,

Kyrrestad, and Fossum (2020), and Wikus, Im, Ratliffe, & Salzman (2012).

Wang, CW., Musumari, P.MTechasrivichien, T., et al. (2019) traveled the

experiences and perceptions among Tawainese young people. The study aims to unveil

the pressing need for the Tawainese school system to improve cyberbullying prevention

programs that reflect the nature and sociocultural aspects. They interviewed a

convenience sample of high school students (aged 16 to 18) from five schools in Taipei,

Taiwan, without preceding knowledge of their cyberbullying experiences. Before

teenagers concluded the interviews, participants completed a brief survey that included
 5

socio-demographic aspects (age, gender, etc.) and Internet and ICT-related factors

(internet usage time, tools to access the Internet, etc.). A total of 48 participants were

interviewed, and out of the 48, 26 were male students, and 22 were female students. The

study showed that they identified six main themes: sites of cyberbullying, the features

of cyberbullying, publicity, the types of cyberbullying, motivation for cyberbullying,

ambiguity and context-dependency, and the coping strategies of victims. Most of the

participants (77.1%) lived with both their parents, used a smartphone as a tool to access

the Internet (75.0%), and used the Internet for at least two(2) hours per day (66.7%).

Moreover, of the 48 participants, 12 students reported a personal history of being

a victim of cyberbullying, and the majority of the victims also reported being witnesses.

In conclusion, cyberbullying appears to be a common occurrence among Taiwanese

high school students. Cyberbullying manifests itself in various ways (e.g., name-calling,

posting photos, exclusion from online groups, etc.) and on various platforms (Facebook

and instant messaging applications). Our findings highlight the critical need for

Taiwan's school system to prevent and stop cyberbullying.

Kowalski and Limber (2007) discovered that the most typical response in the

research study of college students was to block the person on social media, followed by

reporting them. These findings reflect the prevailing conditions of cyberbullying on

social media and an increasing understanding among young people about proper

answers. Three studies were conducted for the research. Study 1 was to ascertain the

relationship between technology and cyberbullying, focusing on social media.

Participants are expected to spend more time on social media sites and report
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involvement via these sites. Prevalence rates of cyberbullies were predicted to mirror

those observed with students in other age demographics because of technological shifts

and the age of the participants. A total of 169 female and 75 undergraduate students

enrolled in an introductory psychology course participated. Participants' ages varied

from 18 to 25 (M=18.8, SD= 1.2), and 80% were white, with another 8.6% African

American. Over 77% of participants reported that they felt moderate to very safe using

the Internet, and 18.2% said they had been a victim of cyberbullying within the last

year. Text messaging (56.8%), Twitter (45.5%), Facebook (38.6%), Instagram (13.7%), and

YouTube (11.4%) were the most frequent venues by which participants indicated they

had been victimized.

The typical age at which participants started using social media was 13.3 (SD =

1.9), and the most common technological tools reported by participants reflected high

use of social media. Results imply that while texting persists dominant, social

networking sites are common locations for bullying. Data might reflect an increased

awareness among young people regarding appropriate responses to online harassment.

Online communication no longer has to be personal and somewhat private; it can now

be indirect and public. Study 2 used a remodeled variant of Pyzalski's (2012) typology

to examine perceptions of cyberbullying aimed toward different types of targets. The

third study is an extension study of 1 and 2 using an innovative methodology to discuss

cyberbullying. Therefore, because of the rapidly changing nature of technology and, as

a result, cyberbullying behavior, researchers and educators from various disciplines are

collaborating to design prevention and intervention efforts. Programs like Radian6

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suggest that technology can be used to help us understand cyberbullying as it happens.

For example, tracking cyberbullies using programs like Radian6 has implications for

developing apps for reporting incidents.

Moules and O'Brien's (2010) studies showed that the factors that facilitate

cyberbullying include the anonymity of the virtual world, the broader audience that the

Internet enables, and the belief that the cyberbullies will not be caught liable for their

wrongdoings. This study examines the impact of cyberbullying on young people's

mental health. It is participatory research with a mixture of quantitative and qualitative

methods using an online questionnaire for young people and the questions for a focus

group. The research team created the online questionnaire for two months, from

February to April 2010. The questionnaire content was launched on Survey Monkey and

was available from April 12th to May 28th, 2010 (7 weeks). The online survey was open

to all young people in England aged 12 to 18. The survey link is placed on the PEAR

website, which young people visit to reach the broadest possible audience—also

distributed fliers and advertisements to local and national youth organizations. The

adult university researchers promoted it to social work and nursing students who work

with young people, and PEAR members announced it to their friends, school, and

youth groups. Schools in England are asked to participate in a survey to determine

what they thought about cyberbullying and its impact on pupils' mental health. Sixty

secondary schools in 2 urban and one rural area of England are selected for the study.

Young people are asked to comment on various aspects of the project, including the

focus group topic and the analysis process. Niamh ran two focus groups in August and
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September 2010, and data were sent for analysis. PEAR members were made fully

aware of running the focus group and finalizing the topic guide. The essential findings

of the research are that 'cyberbullying might cause even more damage than traditional

bullying. More than twice as many girls as boys reported having been victims of

cyberbullying somehow. And the most common effect of cyberbullying on those noted

was on their confidence, self-esteem, and mental and emotional well-being.

Kaiser, Kyrrestad, & Fossum's (2020) study investigates how cyberbullying status

links adolescents' mental health. The study also examines the potential moderator sex

on the relationship between cyberbullying quality and mental health. They used the

Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire to see the total difficulties score and five scales,

a univariate study of variation was performed to predict mental health problems. The

model included five predictors and an interaction term between cyberbully status and

gender. Half of the 2,117 adolescent participants were female. The vast majority had no

experience with cyberbullying, while the 9 % were solely cyber victims, 1 % were sole

cyberbullies, and 3% were both cyber victims and bullies. When exposed to or involved

in cyberbullying, girls' mental health appears to be more compromised than boys'

mental health. Adolescents who are cyberbullies and cyber victims and sole cyber

victims have poorer mental health than adolescents who have never been cyberbullied.

Being subjected to cyberbullying is a distinct contributor to mental health issues. As a

result, it is crucial to mitigate cyberbullying. When girls are subjected to cyberbullying,

their mental health appears to suffer.

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Fjeld, Sara & Reme, Silje & Mossige, Svein's (2020) research examines the power

of cyberbullying and covers the psychological components of adolescents who have

encountered cyberbullying. The sample comprises 4531 Norwegian graduates in high

school-aged 18–21. The following psychological determinants were scrutinized:

self-harm, suicide attempts, antisocial behavior, anxiety, and depression. Three mutually

exclusive groups of cyberbullying were contrasted: 1) cyber victims, 2) cyberbullies, and

3) cyberbully victims. Participants included in cyberbullying were further associated

with those not affected. The ubiquity of cyberbullying in this study was 5 %. There were

no notable differences between cyberbullies, cyber victims, and cyberbully victims on

any psychological variables, besides fewer inscribed suicide attempts in cyberbullies

than cyber victims and cyberbully victims. However, late adolescents involved in

cyberbullying did report significantly more anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide

attempts, and antisocial behavior than those not involved. Thus, late adolescents

engaged in cyberbullying struggle more with psychological problems than

non-involved adolescents. Increased knowledge about the characteristics of cyber

bullies, cyber victims, and cyberbully victims could contribute to better detection and

earlier identification of those involved in cyberbullying. This knowledge can further

help understand the potential psychological vulnerability factors and consequences of

cyberbullying, optimizing preventive measures and treatment.

Wikus, Im, Ratliffe, & Salzman's (2012) study aimed to find widespread

cyberbullying among Filipino teenagers. It was a once-in-a-lifetime cross-sectional plan.

At the time of the study, there were 579 participants with 249 males and 330 females
 10

aged 11 to 17 who had previously taken and were currently taking computer classes

from public and private high schools in the Philippines. Participants were given a

38-item survey in which they were asked about their demographic information and

their experiences with cyberbullying. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were

used to answer two research questions. The study's findings identified several specific

students and environmental variables that are crucial to understanding the

phenomenon of cyberbullying in the Philippines' community under investigation. This

study's findings should help educators, administrators, and students better address the

problems caused by cyberbullying among adolescents.

Thousands of different studies have been created to help mitigate and stop

cyberbullying. Despite all the studies and research, cyberbullying attacks harm

students' and teenagers' lives. There are detrimental effects of cyberbullying on social

media on students’ mental health.

This study then involves the Grade 11 Students to know their experiences of

cyberbullying and the effects on their mental health. Cyberbullying truly affects

students' mental health and causes mental illnesses, deterioration of academic

performance, anxiety, depression, and many others. Cyberbullying will be mitigated

and stopped since teenagers are affected and children and future generations.

This qualitative research aims to answer the following questions:

1. What are the effects of cyberbullying on the mental health of Grade 11

students?

2. How does cyberbullying affect the mental health of Grade 11 students?

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3. What are the ways to help mitigate the effects of Cyberbullying?

Methodology

This qualitative research uses words and descriptions to explain the results and

combine methods to gather data and information—participants in this study were

recruited with prior knowledge and experience of cyberbullying. The participants

experienced cyberbullying first hand. The researchers gave out a socio-demographic

survey to help find the interview participants. All of the participants were handpicked

through the demographic study. The researchers promised to keep the data

confidential and only to the researchers. Before the one-on-one interview with the

participants, the researchers first secure the permission of the participants to ensure the

arrangement and consent of the participants. The researchers gave out consent letters

that needed to be filled out by the participants to show the interview arrangement. The

study relies on the voluntary participation of the participants. The researchers will

assess healing possibilities and adverse side effects in young people's mental health.

The repetition of the assessment will be done to ensure that the results will not be

outcomes of coincidence.

The data collection was gathered through an in-depth interview or one-on-one

interview with a guided questionnaire or questions. Moreover, the researcher assigned

to transcribing the interview is recorded and transcribed by the researcher assigned to

transcribing. Furthermore, the discussion was done using Google Meet or Zoom. Before

the interview, the participant answered a series of questions through Google Forms

regarding demographic information such as age, gender, and ICT-related factors. The
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researchers arranged the categories into groups to show the differences and similarities

through a table or graph to analyze the data. The researchers revised and analyzed the

data to come up with the results.

Results

The research's pursuit is to determine the effects of cyberbullying on the mental

health of Grade 11 Students. The researchers aim to open people's eyes to cyberbullying

as a severe and sensitive problem and topic the world faces today. Moreover, the

researchers want to find the detrimental effects of cyberbullying on students' mental

health, how it affects students' cognitive ability and ways to help mitigate

cyberbullying. The study is qualitative research that uses words and descriptions to

explain the results gathered from the one-on-one interview. Furthermore, the

researchers gave out a Sociodemographic survey with whether one experienced

cyberbullying to help determine the interview participants. The participants for the

one-on-one consultation were recruited with prior knowledge and experience of

cyberbullying.

With that, the researchers decided to invite a maximum of five participants and a

minimum of two participants for the one-on-one interview. As a result of the survey, the

researchers gathered a total number of six participants. Among the six participants, four

of them are able to join with consent. And one participant cannot participate since the

participant does not want to join the interview. Moreover, the other participant was

going to join the discussion. However, she did not answer the confirmation email and
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the consent letter, which implies that the participants do not want to join the interview

and would not join the discussion.

The interview is about the effects of cyberbullying on the mental health of Grade

11 students. Furthermore, the researchers consulted with participants to gather

information and data from the one-on-one interview regarding cyberbullying and its

effects on mental health. Also, the researchers kept in mind that the interview and the

collected data should be held with the utmost confidentiality.

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Based on the findings from the One-on-One Interview, the researchers

established and discovered three common salient themes, which are depression, anxiety,

and a decrease in one’s self-esteem. These themes are typical among the participants

and are common effects of cyberbullying. Being subjected to cyberbullying increases the

risk of developing mental health issues. Moreover, each of the themes is an adverse

effect of cyberbullying on the victim but may vary per person. However, these effects

are prevalent in the participants much more with students. Therefore, all the

interviewees share the themes, and the results are also obtained from the interview.

The first theme is Depression is where deep sadness occurs in a person's life

due to life challenges, personal experiences, and many more. It is the state where a

person has no interest in anything anymore. Depression is linked to worthlessness,

losing interest in life and living, and sadness. It is a common mental health problem

today and in which teenagers develop and experience. Moreover, this is a common

effect of Cyberbullying. Youth who are a target of cyberbullies are at risk of developing

depression. Though it may vary, almost all participants from the interview shared that

they developed depression due to cyberbullying.

Furthermore, one participant said that "he often experienced cyberbullying, especially

in his social media accounts such as Facebook and Messenger." It has been going around for a

year, and it started during quarantine or the start of the pandemic. He believed that it

was because of his "Appearance and the way he speaks, his characteristics." It was not a

good experience; "he experienced name-calling, spreading false rumors, threatening through

words, and which caused traumatic experiences." Moreover, he developed depression due to
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this experience. The participant was diagnosed with depression, and "he was confined in

the hospital due to it" but did not state why he was confined and how it was related to the

participant's depression.

Second, anxiety occurs when a person is nervous or afraid of something. Being

stressed out of work, school, responsibilities, or something specific in life. Anxiety is

also a typical effect of cyberbullying. The cyberbullied may feel this kind of effect and in

which the participants felt too. The participants feel scared and fear cyberbullies.

Some of the participants experienced anxiety due to cyberbullying. Notably, a

participant shared "that the stress brought by cyberbullying caused anxiety and pain in his

life." Due to the continuing cyberbullying, the "amount of stress brought by the event and

the harassment of false information about the person caused great anxiety" to the participant. It

brought fear to cyberbullies. Overthinking is also carried by concern about negative

things and things that may happen again. Not able to sleep at night and dreading

themselves as victims and to what happened.

Furthermore, one of the participants stated that she did suffer from anxiety. It

soon worsened and developed to "social anxiety," due to the pandemic. With that, people

used the media to entertain themselves, increasing cyberbullying in the Philippines

even worldwide. However, due to this terrible experience and constant online

embarrassment, social media "caused her to live in fear or nervousness" about meeting

other people in real life. She "becomes distant from people she knows, especially strangers, and

does not want to interact with people."

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Lastly, a decrease in one's self-esteem is an effect that is usually due to

insecurities and false statements about themselves. Being cyberbullied can make a

person feel insecure and become self-conscious about themselves. Besides that, most of

the participants exhibit a decrease in self-esteem.

Furthermore, their confidence has" dropped significantly due to cyberbullying." The

participants experienced obsession over their appearance and felt uncertain about their

actions. One of the participants opened up that "cyberbullies spread false information and

rumors about themselves which causes them to be conscious and feel bad that is nothing right

about them." The participants experienced such harassment based on their physical

appearances and looks.

The main three themes the researchers gathered are just shared among the

interview participants. However, the effects of cyberbullying on students' mental health

or a person may vary per person. Moreover, Depression can be related to or correlated

with a decrease in self-esteem. Victims of cyberbullying are exposed to and experienced

cyberbullying, which increases the risk of getting mental health illnesses and self

problems: parents should look out for such things since they can permanently affect a

person.

The researchers contextualize the results garnered from the One-on-One

Interview with the participants. With that, the researchers found out that Cyberbullying

is linked with psychological distress. And it deteriorates a person's mental health.

Cyberbullying may cause the victims to develop negative thoughts and emotions,

leading to mental health problems. Therefore, Cyberbullying is a direct and distinct

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contributor to mental health issues and may increase the risk of developing mental

health problems.

A participant shared her experience on Cyberbullying. It started when the

pandemic began, which she relived her boredom through social media. Tiktok was one

way for her to enjoy even at home, so she created Tiktok videos to have fun and do

what she likes. However, she was cyberbullied due to her videos, physical appearance,

and herself. The participant expressed that "every day she would experience harassment

from her cyberbullies" and " they would create dummy accounts that would disseminate false

pieces of information about her." However, that was not the worst form of cyberbullying

she experienced. She stated that " the worst form of cyberbullying she experienced was

humiliating her through public comments or harassing her through public comments." She also

expressed that "the cyberbullies will always find ways to bring her down."

The harassment from the cyberbullies and trauma caused her mental health. The

participant developed anxiety. She stated that "she feels anxious about her appearance and

every little thing she does despite being in social media or real life." She would overthink and

fear her cyberbullies. Furthermore, due to the increased stress from the day-to-day

cyberbullying and being stuck at home, she developed social anxiety. She expressed that

"social anxiety is the fear of being judged and watched by other people," which "she's afraid of

meeting new people even online and offline, sharing her thoughts and opinions, constantly

comparing herself to others, and dreading herself." It caused her to lock herself in a shelf

away from people, embarrassment, and harassment. Despite everything, she coped
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because of her friends and family, which caused her to smile again, and with time, she

slowly accepted everything.

Another participant shared his experience of cyberbullying. The bullying started

a long time ago through traditional bullying, but due to the pandemic and the use of

social media, it cascaded to cyberbullying. He believed the reason behind the

cyberbullying was "due to his physical appearance: the way he talks, the way he walks, and

even his personality." He would often get messages in his social media to account on

Facebook and Messenger from his peers about him. He shared that "they would

cyberbully him through words such as name-calling, verbal or written harassment." It would

go on and on, and he experienced that whenever he opens his social media accounts,

there are always messages from people who cyberbully him. It caused him not to use

and open his social media accounts.

Moreover, it caused a massive toll on his mental health. He was traumatized by

what happened. He first developed anxiety about the amount of cyberbullying he

experienced. He expressed that "he would feel anxious about what has happened, he felt

scared of his cyberbullies, and the overthink." He also developed Depression but was not yet

diagnosed; however, he was hospitalized and diagnosed with Depression. It greatly

affected his life and his mental health. And he also experienced a decrease in one's

self-esteem, where he felt no confidence in himself due to the harassment from other

people. Nevertheless, he is slowly coping by realizing what they did and told about him

is false and not right. He knows about himself more and what he should believe.
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Cyberbullying takes a massive toll on one's mental health. It increases the risk of

developing mental health issues which deteriorates it. The Effects of cyberbullying may

vary per person, but it is a direct and specific contributor to mental health illnesses.

Common effects one can develop are Depression, Anxiety, and being isolated and alone.

Therefore, victims of cyberbullying can't be taken for granted, and it is a sensitive issue

and topic.

Based on the findings from the One-on-One Interview, the researchers discovered

and established two main themes which can help mitigate cyberbullying. These themes

are raising awareness and being cautious. As stated by the participants, the purpose

behind these themes is to spread awareness and give knowledge to the young ones and

everyone. All of the participants commonly provide the articles. Moreover, the

participants used social media and technology, which are shared today. With social

media and technology, raising awareness can be for everyone, and being cautious can

be used. Therefore, the themes are obtained through the interview, and the participants

themselves shared the answers. With the data, the researchers analyzed the data and

created the articles.

All of the participants shared that Raising awareness can help mitigate

cyberbullying. Raising awareness implies a method or strategy to inform or educate

people about an issue or topic to influence and boost people's knowledge. Moreover, it

also means making people aware and conscious of the problem, cyberbullying.

Therefore, it can be through different ways and strategies to help raise or spread

awareness on cyberbullying.
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One participant said that "raising awareness can help lessen the number of

cyberbullying incidents." The generation is attentive and intellectual, so each should help

spread awareness. Another participant shared that "spreading awareness on cyberbullying

such as advising the affected ones and teaching them about their perspective to have a right to be.

Also, talking to someone trusted, friend, or even to adults about the experience or event."

Furthermore, a participant stated that "never hesitate to reach out to someone because that

person may help the person cope due to the incident."

In summary, the participants' answers raised awareness, such as bringing the

risks of Cyberbullying in public wherein young people or students can be notified of

the dangers and aftereffects. It may be through sharing posts about the issue,

informational posters, even videos about cyberbullying. It is vital to establish awareness

and assist with making viewpoints that could help in lessening the adverse impacts of

cyberbullying and even moderate cyberbullying itself in schools, via Social media, and

everywhere.

The last theme, which is the second theme, is being Cautious. Being cautious is a

state where one is mindful and avoids likely issues or potential problems. The

participants suggested that being careful of oneself is one way to reduce cyberbullying.

Being cautious can help a person prevent this act of bullying on social media.

One of the participants shared that "always keeping one's privacy, especially online

and never letting one's guard down when talking to strangers or people with whom one is not

familiar is an act of being cautious." Furthermore, participant KCL remarked that "having

the authority to reject posts involving cyberbullying is also one way." She also said that "do
 21

not listen to what others have to say and sometimes, learn to take insults as compliments to

improve and become a better person." In conclusion, a participant commented, "everything

is done for the benefit and betterment of a person, and it is not for the benefit of others."

Therefore, the researchers obtained two primary and common themes from the

interviews. The first theme is raising or spreading awareness and bringing light to the

darkest part, which one can relate to raising awareness. Getting interrogated light about

cyberbullying and its effect may help mitigate it and even help the cyberbullying

victims. Lastly, the last theme and the second theme is being cautious. The state of being

careful and avoiding potential problems such as not talking to strangers despite being

online and on social media, lessening the time using social media, and even about one's

public setting is an act of it.

Discussion

The interview provided the researchers with a clear view of how cyberbullying is

detrimentally affecting the mental health of Grade 11 students and examine them

regarding their experience in cyberbullying through a Google Form. It became clear to

the researchers that cyberbullying is a serious and sensitive concern among teenagers.

Afterward, the researchers look at each participant's response who agreed to participate

in the One-on-One interview. During the one-on-one consultation, the prepared

questions were able to answer the questions asked by the participants individually.

Cyberbullying invariably affects the mental health of the victim. It can be a short-term

effect or even a long-term effect. Furthermore, like Kaiser, Kyrrestad, & Fossum's (2020)
 22

study states, being subjected to cyberbullying is a distinct contributor to mental health

issues. The effects of cyberbullying can vary for a person, but there is always an impact.

As obtained from the interview, that is accurate for the participants. The

participants developed and experienced various effects on their mental health. One of

the participants developed social anxiety due to these experiences and being stuck at

home, which caused a drop in her self-esteem, and she became distant from people and

social media. Furthermore as (Eric C. Alcera, 2020) said, being cyberbullied can increase

the risk of developing mental problems such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, or

feelings of worthlessness. Due to that, the focus of the research is to build awareness

and help mitigate cyberbullying.

Nevertheless, the adverse effects helped them become stronger as a person. The

participants revealed that it made them grow as a person and that these experiences can

motivate a person to fight themselves and even advocate for such phenomena. It is up

to the person to reject the authority of cyberbullying and stand up for themselves.

Despite all the hate and discrimination, they could grow and develop as a person. The

participants also revealed that one could cope with cyberbullying by rejecting itself and

believing in oneself.

Lastly, cyberbullying should be mitigated. Kaiser, Kyrrestad, & Fossum (2020)

said it is crucial to alleviate cyberbullying since cyberbullying might damage even more

vital than traditional bullying, said Moules and O'Brien (2010). Furthermore, as

students, it is their job and duty to help mitigate cyberbullying. It can be through
 23

spreading awareness through social media and helping the victim through reporting

and supporting them. It can be in various ways to help in lessening cyberbullying.

The findings and implications somehow correlate to those of the studies

presented in the previous sections. The study conducted by Wang, CW., Musumari,

P.MTechasrivichien, T., et al. (2019), Kaiser, Kyrrestad, & Fossum's (2020), Moules and

O'Brien's (2010), and Fjeld, Sara & Reme, Silje & Mossige, Svein's (2020) yield similar

results and finding to the current study. In contrast, Kowalski and Limber (2007) are on

the relationship of cyberbullying to social media and technology. Moreover, Kaiser,

Kyrrestad, & Fossum's (2020), Moules and O'Brien's (2010), and Fjeld, Sara & Reme, Silje

& Mossige, Svein's (2020) gave elaborated and well-explained results which the

researchers can use in the current study. Moreover, Wikus, Im, Ratliffe, & Salzman's

(2012) study showed widespread cyberbullying in the Philippines. The researchers

discovered from the related studies that cyberbullying is a significant contributor to the

mental health problems of the cyberbullied. Moreover, it is vital to help lessen or even

stop cyberbullying.

Conclusion

Based on the study's findings, there are detrimental effects on students' mental

health when they experience cyberbullying. The common mental problem among the

participants developed anxiety. Anxiety caused the participants to feel fear,

unworthiness, and even hate for themselves. Furthermore, others developed mental

illnesses that required going to the hospital due to such encounters. The interviewees

were frank about their experiences during the interview, which was heartbreaking and
 24

tragic to hear. The participants want to spread awareness of cyberbullying, which can

help the future generation mitigate and even prevent such experiences. Furthermore,

educating the generations regarding cyberbullying is an unfortunate encounter, and it is

a severe and sensitive problem and topic of today.

Many lapses and limitations were experienced in this research. One of the

research limitations is the number of participants and the participants in which not

everyone has experienced such phenomena or problems. It does not apply to everyone

they have experienced cyberbullying. Moreover, due to the pandemic, the researchers

cannot meet, and due to the connectivity problems in the Philippines, not much

communication or meeting online can happen, which can lead to miscommunication

and misunderstanding. On the interview day, some technical issues occurred but did

not happen during the practice or dry-run. Also, in the interview, there were diverse

replies from the participants, and the researchers realized that there were distinct types

of cyberbullying that participants experienced.

Despite the constraints, reliable and sound information was gathered and helped

the researchers in the paper. The researchers also experienced some lapses in the paper,

such as the finding of the RRL and RRS. Much research was done on cyberbullying,

which is hard to find suitable and viable for the research. The researchers had to change

again and again regarding the RRL and RRS. The researchers were having a hard time

regarding plagiarism since they could not verify it due to the unavailability and the

money since plagiarism checkers need to buy. Nevertheless, with all of the constraints,
 25

lapses, problems, and limitations, the researchers can find information and data about

the main focus of the study.

The focus is to help prevent cyberbullying and its effects on students' mental

health. Furthermore, most of the participants express that choosing to move forward is

better than staying in a situation wherein one can struggle and hurt oneself. As alleged

by the Participants, to improve a person’s mental health, one should focus on

themselves regardless of what others may say.

 26

APPENDIX A
RESEARCH MAP
COMMUNICATION LETTER
 27

APPENDIX B
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Name of Interviewee: KCL


Name of Interviewer: Acel Jessie
Grace Acojedo & Mary Jan Germaine
Lajato
Date of Interview: November 24, 2021
Questions:
1. What was the reason why you
were bullied?
2. How frequent or often have you
been a victim of cyberbullying?
3. What sites or social media
platforms have you experienced
cyberbullying?
4. In what way did they cyberbully
you?
5. In what way does cyberbullying
affect your mental health?
6. How did you
cope after
experiencing
cyberbullying?
7. How can you help the people who
28
Time Started: 3:00 PM
Time Finished: 3:30 PM
Interviewee’s Response:
- She was bullied because she said
that she is being herself, and she
also stated that it is based on
what she has noticed from the
ongoing cyberbullying she has
experienced.
- She said that she was bullied on a
daily basis.
- TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and any
other social media platforms.
- They cyberbullied her by creating a
dummy account and they would
disseminate false information about
her. The worst form of cyberbullying
she experienced is that people
humiliate her through public
comments. The cyberbullies always
try to bring her down as a person.
- She developed anxiety about her
appearance and was always
anxious about whatever she’s
doing. She usually compared
herself to others and She began to
experience social anxiety.
- Despite the terrible people around
her, she was able to cope since she
had friends by her side to cheer
her up and encourage her.
- Her advice is to take your time

are cyberbullied, and how can you
lessen the adverse effects?
8. As a student and cyberbullied,
how can you help mitigate
cyberbullying?
Name of Interviewee: JMDC
Name of Interviewer: Acel Jessie
Grace Acojedo & Lucy Pis-an
Date of Interview: November 25, 2021
Questions:
1. What was the reason why you
were bullied?
29
developing and not linger on
issues. Instead, use insults as
motivation to improve.
- Take your time, she advised, and
don't listen to what others have to
say. And, sometimes, learn to take
insults in order to improve and
become a better version of
yourself. She also stated that we
are doing this for our own benefit
and not for the benefit of others.
- According to her, it is our job to
interview if ever we come across
someone who is being
Cyberbullying. When you have the
platform and the confidence to
stand up for individuals as part of
being Cyberbullied. We must use it
to defend those who are being
cyberbullied. She also said that We
have the authority to reject posts
involving Cyberbully. In terms of
what we see right now, Our
generation is an intellectual and
attentive one. So each one of us
should spread awareness. In this
way, we can reduce the number of
incidents of Cyberbullying.
Time Started: 3:00 PM
Time Finished: 3:30 PM
Interviewee’s Response:
- The reason why he was
cyberbullied is due to his

2. How frequent or often have you
been a victim of cyberbullying?
3. What sites or social media
platforms have you experienced
cyberbullying?
4. In what way did they cyberbully
you?
5. In what way does cyberbullying
affect your mental health?
6. How did you
cope after
experiencing
cyberbullying?
7. How can you help cyberbullied
people, and how can you lessen
the adverse effects?
30
appearance. The way he talks, the
way he walks, and even his
characteristics or personality.
- He often gets cyberbullied. When
he opens his social media accounts,
he often sees messages that are
about him.
- The sites or social media platforms
used to cyberbully him were
usually Facebook and Messenger.
- He was traumatized as a result of
the threats and verbal abuse he
received. Also, they cyberbully
him through words like messaging
him, name-calling, and more.
- He developed anxiety due to the
amount of cyberbullying he
experienced. As a result of anxiety
and depression, he was admitted
to the hospital. And he also
experienced a drop in his
self-esteem and confidence.
- He copes after the experience by
realizing that what they are doing
is wrong. Also, he realized that the
comments he was receiving were
not true of who he is. He knows
that he is not like that which is
why he doesn't regard such
comments from the cyberbullies.
- He can help the cyberbullied
through spreading awareness on
such problem or phenomena and
giving advice to the affected ones
and teaching them about their own
perspective to have a right to be
free. Also, he can help lessen the
effects by talking to Adults or
trusted people about your

8. As a student and cyberbullied,
how can you help mitigate
cyberbullying?
Name of Interviewee: MFC
Name of Interviewer: Johanna Marie
Abucayon & Mary Jan Germaine
Lajato
Date of Interview: November 25, 2021
Questions:
1. What was the reason why you
were bullied?
2. How frequent or often have you
been a victim of cyberbullying?
3. What sites or social media
platforms have you experienced
cyberbullying?
4. In what way did they cyberbully
you?
5. In what way does cyberbullying
affect your mental health?
31
experience.
- He can help mitigate cyberbullying
by starting to imbued on ourselves
and teach people that
cyberbullying is a bad idea.
Therefore, it should be eradicated.
Time Started: 5:00 PM
Time Finished: 5:30 PM
Interviewee’s Response:
- She didn’t know what was the
reason why she was cyberbullied.
Maybe she hates her or how she
acts. Based on her past
classmates, they thought of her as
annoying which may be the
reason why she was cyberbullied.
- It was a one-time cyberbully by
her classmate.
- The social media platform used to
cyberbully her is Messenger.
- The cyberbullies were saying
inappropriate things behind her
back in a group chat on the social
media platform called Messenger.
- She stated that it had an impact on
her self-esteem, she experienced a
drop in her self-esteem.
 32

6. How did you - She didn’t actually cope, but her

cope after mom found out that she was
experiencing cyberbullied and After that day
cyberbullying? she was taken by surprise at how
they ended up at the council.

7. How can you help cyberbullied - Her advice is to never hesitate to

people, and how can you lessen reach out to someone because
the adverse effects? maybe that person can help you
cope.

8. As a student and cyberbullied, - She suggested always keeping

how can you help mitigate your privacy especially online and
cyberbullying? never letting your guard down
when talking to strangers or
people with who you aren’t
familiar.

Name of Interviewee: JJSJ

Name of Interviewer: Acel Jessie Time Started: 5:00 PM

Grace Acojedo & Sophia Luisa Dael

Date of Interview: November 26, 2021 Time Finished: 5:30 PM

Questions: Interviewee’s Response:

1. What was the reason why you - She was cyberbullied because she
were bullied? had no friends and she was
always alone.

2. How frequent or often have you - She

been a victim of cyberbullying? -

3. What sites or social media -

platforms have you experienced
cyberbullying?

4. In what way did they cyberbully - They called her mean names and
you? bad words.

5. In what way does cyberbullying - Having suicidal thoughts and

affect your mental health? depression.
 33

6. How did you -

cope after
experiencing
cyberbullying?

7. How can you help cyberbullied
people, and how can you lessen
the adverse effects?
- To her, a person must always seek
help from their family or older
people when they encounter
cyberbullying so that it won’t
worsen.

9. As a student and cyberbullied, - She suggested that schools should

how can you help mitigate give awareness about
cyberbullying? cyberbullying so that the students
will be aware and fewer students
will experience it.

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