Cyberbullying and cyber sexual harassment as predictors of subjective health complaints. A cross-sectional study among Swedish adolescents

Subjective health complaints (SHC) are a growing public health concern among Swedish adolescents. While many predictors of SHC are known, the role of cyber victimisation, particularly cyber sexual harassment, is underexplored. This study examined whether cyberbullying and cyber sexual harassment victimisation predict SHC among 15-year-olds and whether these associations differ by type of harassment. Cross-sectional survey data from 2023 included 1,211 Swedish pupils (response rate 81%, 50.1% girls, mean age 15.2). SHC was measured with the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) symptom checklist. Gender-stratified hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted, controlling for psychosocial factors. Both cyberbullying and cyber sexual harassment were significantly associated with SHC in girls and boys, independent of loneliness, school stress, social support and social media use. Among the dimensions of cyber sexual harassment, unsolicited sexting and degrading name-calling showed the strongest associations with SHC, while sexual exploitation was the weakest predictor. Overall, patterns of victimisation predictors were similar for girls and boys; however, the models explained a greater proportion of variance in SHC among girls. Cyber victimisation is a significant correlate of adolescent SHC, independent of key psychosocial factors. Preventive efforts should address multiple forms of cyber victimisation, with attention to gendered vulnerabilities.