Students’ Views on Cyberbullying in Indonesian Schools

Cyberbullying has become a growing concern in Indonesian schools due to the rapid increase in adolescents’ use of digital technologies and social media platforms. This study addresses the limited understanding of how Indonesian students perceive, experience, and interpret cyberbullying in school contexts. A qualitative descriptive design was employed involving 210 students from junior and senior high schools across 10 provinces in Indonesia. Data collection involved open-ended online questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed thematically. The findings indicate that students generally recognize cyberbullying as harmful online behavior, although their understanding varies across different forms of online interaction. However, many participants still perceive some forms of cyberbullying as normal jokes among peers. Participants reported that experiences of cyberbullying were associated with anxiety, stress, low self-esteem, and social withdrawal. In addition, cyberbullying may affect academic performance by reducing students’ concentration, motivation, and school engagement. Participants identified peer pressure, emotional factors, limited digital literacy, and inadequate parental supervision as factors associated with cyberbullying. Students emphasized the need for stronger school-based prevention programs, counseling support, and digital literacy education. The findings contribute to a better understanding of students’ perspectives on cyberbullying and highlight the need for coordinated preventive strategies involving schools, families, and policymakers.