Cyberbullying probability, not frequency, predicts mental health: a gendered investigation of individual, familial, and school-level predictors

This study distinguishes between the probability and frequency of cyberbullying to examine its malleable predictors, mental health impacts, and gender differences among primary school children. We analysed data from 1031 students (49.75% male) and their parents across 19 primary schools in Hong Kong, employing a two-part model that distinguishes between the probability and frequency of cyberbullying experiences. The findings reveal that the probability of experiencing cyberbullying, rather than its frequency, was a significant predictor of poorer mental health in children. Higher digital literacy (DL), lower academic stress, and less frequent online activity were linked to reduced cyberbullying involvement for both boys and girls. Better family functioning was associated with lower rates of perpetration and victimisation among girls only. These findings offer a nuanced perspective on how individual, familial, and digital factors distinctly shape cyberbullying experiences and their mental health outcomes across genders in primary school students.