From Words to Wounds: Cyberbullying and Its Influence on Mental Health Across the Lifespan
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. The Concept of Cyberbullying
1.2. Cyberbullying Across the Lifespan
1.3. Cyberbullying Impact on Mental Health
1.4. Current Study
2. Method
2.1. Recruitment and Sampling
2.2. Data Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Theme 1 [Age 18–39]: Feeling Ashamed or Humiliated
3.2. Theme 2 [Age 18–39]: Withdrawing from Friends and Family
3.3. Theme 3 [Age 18–39]: Experiencing Harassment as Positive and Difficulties with Rules
3.4. Theme 1 [Age 40–59]: Losing Interest in Hobbies
3.5. Theme 2 [Age 40–59]: Feeling Guilty About Things They Did or Did Not Do
3.6. Theme 3 [Age 40–59]: Experiencing a Sense of Missing out
3.7. Theme 1 [Age 60+]: Negative Thoughts and Self-Talk
3.8. Theme 2 [Age 60+]: Feeling Judged Negatively
3.9. Theme 3 [Age 60+]: Feeling Financially Vulnerable
3.10. Theme 1 [Age 18–39]: Depressive Symptoms
3.11. Theme 2 [Age 18–39]: Easy Anger
3.12. Theme 3 [Age 18–39]: Suicidal Behavior
3.13. Theme 1 [Age 40–59]: Anxiety
3.14. Theme 2 [Age 40–59]: Low Self-Esteem
3.15. Theme 3 [Age 40–59]: Use of Substances
3.16. Theme 1 [Age 60+]: Frustration
3.17. Theme 2 [Age 60+]: Isolation
3.18. Theme 3 [Age 60+]: Disturbances in Sleep and Eating Patterns
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Characteristics | Younger Adults 301 (34.1) | Middle Adults 294 (33.3) | Older Adults 288 (32.6) | Total 883 (100.0) | ||||
Age (Average ± SD) | 46.4 ± 6.841 | |||||||
Gender, n (%) | ||||||||
Female | 157 | (52.2) | 152 | (51.7) | 149 | (51.7) | 458 | (51.9) |
Male | 144 | (47.8) | 142 | (48.3) | 139 | (48.3) | 425 | (48.1) |
Education, n (%) | ||||||||
Primary school | 42 | (14.0) | 31 | (10.5) | 91 | (31.6) | 164 | (18.6) |
Middle school | 144 | (47.8) | 134 | (45.6) | 112 | (38.9) | 390 | (44.2) |
≥High school | 115 | (38.2) | 129 | (43.9) | 85 | (29.5) | 329 | (37.3) |
Marital Status, n (%) | ||||||||
Married or in a relationship | 147 | (48.8) | 174 | (59.2) | 187 | (64.9) | 508 | (57.5) |
Not married nor in a relationship | 154 | (51.2) | 120 | (40.8) | 101 | (35.1) | 375 | (42.5) |
Living arrangements, n (%) | ||||||||
Live with someone | 179 | (59.5) | 237 | (80,6) | 194 | (67.4) | 610 | (69.1) |
Live alone | 122 | (40.5) | 57 | (19.4) | 94 | (32.6) | 273 | (30.9) |
Family Annual Income, n (%) | ||||||||
≤25,000 € | 155 | (51.5) | 181 | (61.6) | 157 | (54.5) | 493 | (55.8) |
>25,000 € | 146 | (48.5) | 113 | (38.4) | 131 | (45.5) | 390 | (44.2) |
Perceived health, n (%) | ||||||||
Good | 247 | (82.1) | 201 | (68.4) | 174 | (60.4) | 622 | (70.4) |
Poor | 54 | (17.9) | 93 | (31.6) | 114 | (39.6) | 261 | (29.6) |
Objective 1: How cyberbullying is emotionally experienced | |
18–39 age group | Feeling ashamed or humiliated (92.4%) |
Withdrawing from friends and family (81.1%) | |
Experiencing harassment as positive and difficulties with rules (80.7%) | |
40–59 age group | Losing interest in hobbies (89.5%) |
Questioning about things they did or did not do (76.9%) | |
Experiencing a sense of missing out (74.8%) | |
60+ age group | Negative thoughts and self-talk (91.3%) |
Feeling judged negatively (87.5%) | |
Feeling financially vulnerable (86.1%) | |
Objective 2: Impact of cyberbullying on mental health | |
18–39 age group | Depressive symptoms (79.7%) |
Easy anger (76.1%) | |
Suicidal behavior (43.2%) | |
40–59 age group | Anxiety (93.2%) |
Low self-esteem (76.2%) | |
Use of substances (74.8%) | |
60+ age group | Frustration (78.1.%) |
Isolation (77.8%) | |
Disturbances in sleep and eating patterns (67.4%) |
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von Humboldt, S.; Low, G.; Leal, I. From Words to Wounds: Cyberbullying and Its Influence on Mental Health Across the Lifespan. Behav. Sci. 2025, 15, 619. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050619
von Humboldt S, Low G, Leal I. From Words to Wounds: Cyberbullying and Its Influence on Mental Health Across the Lifespan. Behavioral Sciences. 2025; 15(5):619. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050619
Chicago/Turabian Stylevon Humboldt, Sofia, Gail Low, and Isabel Leal. 2025. "From Words to Wounds: Cyberbullying and Its Influence on Mental Health Across the Lifespan" Behavioral Sciences 15, no. 5: 619. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050619
APA Stylevon Humboldt, S., Low, G., & Leal, I. (2025). From Words to Wounds: Cyberbullying and Its Influence on Mental Health Across the Lifespan. Behavioral Sciences, 15(5), 619. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050619