A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cyber-Victimization and Educational Outcomes for Adolescents
Abstract
Adolescents’ Internet use is increasingly mobile, private, and unsupervised, which raises concerns given that the Internet increasingly serves as a medium for experiencing victimization. Although it is widely recognized that in-person victimization has a deleterious effect on adolescents’ educational outcomes, the extent to which cyber-victimization has similar effects is less well known. This systematic review and meta-analysis offers a synthesis of the relationship between cyber-victimization and educational outcomes of adolescents aged 12 to 17, including 25 effect sizes from 12 studies drawn from a variety of disciplines. A series of random-effects meta-analyses using robust variance estimation revealed associations between cyber-victimization and higher school attendance problems (r = .20) and academic achievement problems (r = .14). Results did not differ by provided definition, publication status, reporting time frame, gender, race/ethnicity, or average age. Implications for future research are discussed within context of theoretical, critical, and applied discussions.
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Cyberbullying victims often display lower school performance.
“Four meta-analyses consistently show that cyberbullying victims often display lower school performance28,82,85,99, leading to considerable psychological distress and maladaptive coping behaviours28,36,82,94,130.”
From Umbrella review of meta-analyses on the risk factors, protective factors, consequences and interventions of cyberbullying victimization (2024) · cites this paper as [85]
Emotional burdens from cyberbullying can reduce attendance and participation in school and social activities, further impacting academic performance.
“These emotional burdens can reduce attendance and participation in school and social activities85, further impacting academic performance.”
From Umbrella review of meta-analyses on the risk factors, protective factors, consequences and interventions of cyberbullying victimization (2024) · cites this paper as [85]
Cyberbullying victims show lower school attendance, academic achievement and worse peer relationships and tend to engage more in both traditional and cyberbullying perpetration.
“Cyberbullying victims show lower school attendance, academic achievement28,85 and worse peer relationships82 and tend to engage more in both traditional and cyberbullying perpetration36,86.”
From Umbrella review of meta-analyses on the risk factors, protective factors, consequences and interventions of cyberbullying victimization (2024) · cites this paper as [85]
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- Authors
- Gardella, J. H., Fisher, B. W., & Teurbe-Tolon, A. R.
- Affiliations
- Vanderbilt University (US)
- University of Louisville (US)
- Venue
- Review of Educational Research
- Published
- 2017-01-27
- Volume
- 87
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 283-308
- ISSN
- 0034-6543 (ISSN-L)
- 1935-1046
- OpenAlex
- W2759131908
- Cited by
- 139
- References
- 59
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 2.13
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Review of Educational Research (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Cybercrime and Law Enforcement Studies
- Keywords
- cyber victimization, adolescents, educational outcomes, school attendance problems, academic performance, internet use
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