The Relationship Between Digital Empathy And Cyberbullying Among High School Students

Abstract

       This study aimed to investigate the relationship between digital empathy and cyberbullying among secondary school students in Baghdad Province, Iraq, using a correlational descriptive design. The sample comprised 384 male and female students selected through stratified random sampling to ensure proportional representation of gender and grade level. Data were collected using two locally developed and psychometrically validated scales based on established theoretical frameworks: the Digital Empathy Scale (24 items; three dimensions: cognitive, affective, behavioral) and the Cyberbullying Scale (20 items; five forms: exclusion, verbal harassment, defamation, deception, threats). Both scales underwent content validity assessment (CVR ≥ 0.78), internal consistency analysis (item-total correlation: 0.31–0.68), and reliability testing (Cronbach's α: 0.84–0.87). Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS software (Version 28), employing descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient, independent samples t-test, and Fisher's Z transformation to compare correlation coefficients across genders. Results revealed a statistically significant negative correlation between the two variables (r = -0.46, p < 0.001), indicating that higher levels of digital empathy are associated with lower levels of cyberbullying perpetration. Digital empathy scores were moderate to high (M = 3.72, SD = 0.58), with the behavioral dimension scoring highest, while cyberbullying prevalence reached 31.8%. No significant gender differences were observed in the relationship between variables (p = 0.32). The study concludes that digital empathy serves as an effective protective factor against cyberbullying and recommends integrating digital empathy skills into school-based educational programs.