A study conducted by Stellenbosch University revealed that 63.9% of surveyed teenagers participated in cyberbullying, linking online violence to worsening well-being and academic performance.
More than a third of the teenagers participating in the study in South Africa reported being both victims and aggressors of cyberbullying. Experts explain this pattern through cycles of humiliation, retaliatory actions, and attempts to gain peer recognition.
The Stellenbosch University study showed that 37.3% of the 659 students whose responses were analyzed experienced and perpetrated cyberbullying within the last six months. Overall, 63.9% reported involvement in cyberbullying as a victim, aggressor, or both. Furthermore, 19.9% were classified as victims exclusively, and 6.7% as aggressors exclusively.
Bavna Latchman, Online Counselling Manager at Childline South Africa, noted that young people subjected to online humiliation can sometimes respond with aggression or target someone else. She emphasized: 'When a child is deliberately humiliated online, they experience immense fear and vulnerability. To restore a sense of control or defend against being at the bottom of the social hierarchy, they may retaliate or target someone else.'
The study also presented an unexpected finding that may help explain the complex dynamics in peer relationships. Teenagers engaged in direct cyberbullying showed higher scores on the 'connectedness' scale—one of the metrics for adolescent well-being related to social relationships. Researchers suggested that some adolescents might use online aggression to navigate the social hierarchy or gain social status.
Registered counsellor Kaylee Jorgensen stated that the need for belonging can be particularly strong during adolescence. 'A teenager entering high school often tries to answer very important questions: Where do I fit in? Who are my people? What do others think of me? Where do I belong?' she said. Peer approval can seem extremely important at this age, while emotional regulation and the ability to withstand peer pressure are still developing.
The online environment amplifies this feeling, as the audience can seem enormous. One comment, photo, or screenshot can suddenly become visible to the entire peer group, and teenagers may feel constantly watched.
Younger students reported higher involvement
The broader research project covered five Quintile 5 high schools, but the cyberbullying study, conducted by Associate Professor Daniel le Roux from the Department of Informatics at Stellenbosch University and Camryn Twaddle from Artefact South Africa, analyzed questionnaire responses from 659 students across four of these schools. The Quintile 5 classification is a socio-economic classification of school level, typically associated with schools serving more affluent communities. Researchers warned that the findings may not apply to lower quintile schools, but they provided useful insight into cyberbullying in digitized educational environments.
Involvement decreased as students progressed through high school. Approximately three-quarters of Grade 8 students reported some involvement, compared to about half of Grade 12 students. Researchers suggested that younger adolescents might be more vulnerable as they adapt to high school and have only recently started using social media.
TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat were notably present in incident reports. Common behaviors included unauthorized sharing of secrets, insults, and sending awkward or offensive messages. Researchers noted: 'TikTok was the platform where teenagers most frequently reported various forms of cyberbullying.'
Overall involvement was similar between male and female participants—65.1% and 62.6% respectively. However, researchers found small but statistically significant differences in specific actions. Female participants reported insults and rumor spreading more often, while males reported threats to others online and unauthorized distribution of inappropriate photos or videos more frequently.
Harm Beyond the Screen
Latchman clarified that a typical online conflict becomes cyberbullying when it becomes repeated, targeted harassment using power to cause harm, fear, or distress. She also noted that cyberbullying is becoming increasingly visual: complaints include sharing photos or videos without consent, recording people without their knowledge, and spreading malicious rumors online.
According to Childline data, 105 reports related to cyberbullying were registered in the last reporting period, a 7.14% increase from the previous period. Latchman stated: 'The shift is obvious: cyberbullying is no longer limited to text messages. It has become highly visual and viral.'
She also warned that artificial intelligence tools can facilitate the creation and dissemination of harmful or manipulated content online. The Stellenbosch study found a negative correlation between cyberbullying and other aspects of adolescent life. Direct experience as a cybervictim was linked to lower levels of happiness, while adolescents involved in direct cyberbullying reported less persistence. Being a direct or indirect cybervictim also negatively affected academic performance.
Jorgensen added that persistent cyberbullying can contribute to the development of anxiety and depressive symptoms, and in more severe cases, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, or significant disruption to daily activities. Unlike traditional bullying, she noted that online violence can be difficult for teenagers to overcome. 'In traditional bullying, a teenager can at least have some physical distance from what is happening when they leave school. In cyberbullying, messages, comments, screenshots, and exclusion continue when they go home, late at night, and even when they are in bed.'
What Parents and Schools Should Watch For
Jorgensen advised parents and teachers to look for changes in a teenager's usual behavior rather than waiting for one obvious warning sign. These changes may include withdrawal, irritability, emotional outbursts, avoidance of school or friends, concentration difficulties, changes in sleep or appetite, and unusual phone anxiety. Some teenagers may become more absorbed in their devices rather than avoiding them. 'Some teenagers may actually become more engrossed in it—constantly checking messages, monitoring what people say about them, or feeling anxious upon receiving a notification.'
Latchman pointed out that online harm can affect relationships, attendance, and school participation. Some children isolated themselves or refused to attend school or extracurricular activities due to fear of encountering peers involved in violence. She also noted that many schools are inadequately equipped to handle incidents occurring online and outside of school hours. 'Every school needs a clear anti-bullying policy that covers the digital space, and teachers must be trained to recognize signs of a child's distress.'
Jorgensen stressed that the adult's initial reaction when a teenager discloses cyberbullying is crucial. 'The first reaction is hugely important. Before trying to solve the problem, the teenager must feel believed, safe, and supported.'
Adults should listen, find out what happened, preserve evidence if necessary, block or report abusive accounts, and involve the school when appropriate. Cases involving threats, sexualized content, extortion, serious stalking, or concerns about self-harm or suicide must be referred for appropriate professional help. Childline data from July-September 2025 illustrates how online abuse can escalate. The organization reported numerous messages from teenagers stating that an Instagram and WhatsApp account allegedly disclosed minors' personal information, spread sexual rumors, and shared inappropriate content. According to Childline, their counselors reported this Instagram account and forwarded the case to the South African Police Service's Serious and Electronic Crime Investigation Unit. The organization's report indicated that they later received feedback that the account had been deleted. The report does not specify whether criminal investigation or prosecution followed. For Jorgensen, the simple message to a harassed teenager should be: 'This is happening to you, but it does not define you.'