Principal investigator: Prof. Martina Lotar Rihtarić, PhD
Cyberbullying Among Students: The Interaction of Individual and Social Factors and the Characteristics of the Digital Context
About the project
Project team members:
- Prof. Neven Ricijaš, PhD
- Assoc. Prof. Dora Dodig Hundrić, PhD
- Sabina Mandić, PhD, senior assistant
- Andrea Ćosić, PhD, senior assistant
- Sanja Radić Bursać, prof. soc. ped.
Associates:
- Prof. Ivana Vrselja, PhD
- Monika Knežević Dijanović, univ. mag. psych.
Previous research in this field has primarily focused on individual or social factors, or on specific aspects of the digital context that contribute to electronic violence. There is a lack of comprehensive studies examining the relative contributions of different factors. The socio-ecological model of cyberbullying (Patel & Quan-Haase, 2024) is a new theoretical framework that enables the planning and implementation of such comprehensive research, but it has not yet been systematically tested. This model highlights groups of different factors that affect cyberbullying among students and may also have certain interaction effects on its occurrence. The aim of this study is, within the framework of the socio-ecological model, to examine the contributions of individual and social factors, as well as characteristics of the digital context, in explaining the occurrence of cyberbullying, and to explore its effects on the mental health of primary and secondary school students. To achieve the project goals, a mixed-methods research approach is planned, involving three studies. In the first year, (1) a quantitative study will be conducted to develop and validate a scale for measuring perceptions of the digital context that fosters cyberbullying. In addition, (2) a qualitative study will explore how students perceive and describe the factors contributing to cyberbullying. In the second year, (3) a longitudinal study will begin, with three measurement points spaced one year apart, to determine how factors from the socio-ecological model explain cyberbullying and how it contributes to students’ mental health.
Project activities
Start of Data Collection in the ENDIS Project
In March, two research components involving primary and secondary school students in the City of Zagreb were initiated as part of the scientific research project Cyberbullying Among Students: The Interaction of Individual and Social Factors and the Characteristics of the Digital Context (ENDIS) : a quantitative pilot study and a qualitative study .
In the quantitative pilot study, students anonymously complete questionnaires measuring various constructs within the socio-ecological model that are important for understanding and explaining electronic violence among students.
Alongside the pilot study, a qualitative study is being conducted in which students participate in focus groups. This approach enables more detailed insights into students’ experiences, perceptions, and attitudes regarding electronic violence and the digital environment.
The collected data will contribute to a better understanding of the factors associated with electronic violence among students and represent an important step in the further preparation of the longitudinal study.
20.03.2026
Kick-off Meeting for the ENDIS Project
On 12 November 2025, the kick-off meeting for the scientific research project Cyberbullying Among Students: The Interaction of Individual and Social Factors and the Characteristics of the Digital Context (ENDIS) was held. The meeting brought together project team members, who presented the project objectives, planned activities, and the overall framework for conducting the research.
With this meeting, the ENDIS project officially began, and the team started implementing the planned activities aimed at improving understanding of cyberbullying among students and the factors that explain its occurrence in the digital environment.
01.12.2025