Cyberbullying of Vietnamese High Schoolers during Social Distancing due to COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction. The article is devoted to the study of the problems encountered by Vietnamese schoolchildren during the period of strict restrictions in the form of social distancing to combat the 4th wave of COVID-19 in Vietnam. This is the first systematic study in Vietnam that uses reliable research tools to assess cyberbullying among adolescents during COVID-19 social distancing. Materials and Methods. The study draws on a survey of 787 (grades 6–12) Vietnamese teenagers randomly selected from provinces and cities in the north of Vietnam. An expert survey of students was conducted using the Google Form service. The reliability of the results of the study was verified using the alpha coefficient (ANOVA test) and factor analysis EFA. Results. The final statistical data obtained showed a significant influence of factors: gender, course of study (age), place of residence, purpose, time of use and type of social network on cyberbullying of Vietnamese teenagers and young men. The negative strategy of combating cyberbullying and the experience of cyberbullying (as a subject or victim), which are factors strongly influencing cyberbullying in Vietnamese adolescents and young men, has been identified. During social distancing, Vietnamese teenagers and young men developed a tendency to abuse social networks for entertainment and communication purposes. During social distancing, the manifestations of bullying through social networks in Vietnamese teenagers showed an increase at an alarming rate, focusing mainly on 2 groups of behavior, including “mental violence and invasion of privacy” and “online fraud and sexual harassment”. A closed causal cycle of cyberbullying has been identified, in which the mediating factor contributing to this cycle is the way a teenager reacts negatively to cyberbullying during social distancing due to COVID-19. Discussion and Conclusion. The results of the study are an important basis for the creation of prevention and psychological intervention programs to help Vietnamese adolescents and young men during social distancing due to COVID-19 in order to prevent cyberbullying, contributing to mental health.