A cross-national multilevel study published in BMC Public Health reports that cyberbullying victimization is associated with lower life satisfaction and higher psychological and somatic symptoms among adolescents. The research, conducted by Kofi Nyantakyi Appiah, Augustine Osei Boakye, and Nathanael Adu, examined how individual-level and country-level interpersonal support relates to these mental health outcomes across 42 countries. The study utilized data from the 2017/2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey, encompassing a sample of 183,928 adolescents. The primary objective was to determine whether teacher and peer support moderate the adverse associations between cyberbullying victimization and adolescent well-being, distinguishing between individual perceptions of support and country-average levels of support.
The study design employed multilevel mixed-effects models to account for the hierarchical clustering of students within schools and countries. This statistical approach allowed the researchers to separate individual-level effects from country-average effects using within- and between-country decomposition. The analysis focused on three complementary outcomes: life satisfaction, psychological symptoms, and somatic symptoms. To assess the reliability of the support measures, the researchers conducted a pooled confirmatory factor analysis and internal consistency analyses.
The results indicated a consistent association between cyberbullying victimization and negative mental health outcomes. Specifically, higher levels of cyberbullying victimization were associated with lower life satisfaction and increased frequency of both psychological and somatic complaints. The study further found that higher individual perceptions of teacher and peer support were associated with more favorable outcomes across all three measures.
Despite the positive association between individual support and well-being, the study found no evidence that country-average teacher or peer support moderated the relationship between cyberbullying and mental health outcomes. The researchers also examined individual-level interactions between support and cyberbullying victimization. While significant interactions were found for psychological symptoms and somatic symptoms, these interactions were not consistent with a protective buffering effect.
The study identifies perceived interpersonal support as a relevant correlate of adolescent mental health and well-being but does not establish a causal protective effect.
Subject of Research: Associations between cyberbullying, interpersonal support, and adolescent mental health across 42 countries
Article Title: Teacher and peer support and adolescent mental health and well-being in the context of cyberbullying victimization: a cross-national multilevel study
Article References: Appiah, K. N., Boakye, A. O., & Adu, N. (2026). Teacher and peer support and adolescent mental health and well-being in the context of cyberbullying victimization: a cross-national multilevel study. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-30352-6
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-026-30352-6
Keywords: cyberbullying, adolescent mental health, peer support, teacher support, multilevel modeling, cross-national study, life satisfaction, psychological symptoms, somatic symptoms, HBSC survey, Teacher, peer
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