Cyberbullying and suicidal behavior in adolescent students: A systematic review

Abstract

The main purpose of this research has been to carry out a systematic review of the most current scientific literature on suicidal behavior in victims of cyberbullying. Five databases, Web of Science, Scopus, Psycinfo, Psycarticles and PubMed, have been consulted in order to examine the research published between 2018 and 2020 (both inclusive). After eliminating duplicate papers and applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the final study consists of 21 articles. The results of these studies on the prevalence of cyberbullying and suicidal behavior (including ideation, planning and/or attempt) in adolescent students have been analysed, the data on the chain of suicidal behavior in victims of cyberbullying, as well as the psychosocial risk factors associated with cyberbullying and suicidal behavior also has been analysed. Variations were found among studies in the prevalence of cyberbullying and suicidal behavior. In all studies, relationships between cybervictimization and suicidal behavior were observed. Suicidal ideations and attempts were significantly more prevalent in cyberbullying victims, this being a risk factor for suicidal behavior in adolescent students. These findings confirm the need to implement effective programs for the prevention of cyberbullying and suicidal behavior in adolescence in the school context worldwide.

Key words: cyberbullying, suicidal behavior, adolescents, students, systematic review