Tending to the Emotional Experience of Cyber-Victimized Youth: How Teachers Can Support Victims of Severe Cyberbullying Incidents

Abstract

Cyberbullying negatively impacts the social-emotional development of youth and can interfere with school engagement and academic functioning. However, little is known about how teachers can support cyber-victims. This study aims to examine the specific support strategies that predict emotional relief from severe cyber-victimization. This study also identifies demographic and contextual determinants that further facilitate emotional relief when teacher support is provided. Using a within-subjects design, participants aged 12-to-17 years old rated the intensity of their emotions after being presented with vignettes about hypothetical cyberbullying scenarios. The study found that each type of teacher support predicted emotional relief in comparison to no support for each form of severe cyberbullying, but the amount of emotional relief varied across support types, demographic factors, and contextual factors. These findings have implications for early prevention methods for teachers of victimized youth.