# How Italian Middle School Adolescents Conceptualize and Navigate Cyberbullying: A Qualitative Analysis of Definitions, Behaviors, Roles, and Coping Strategies

## TL;DR

This study explores how Italian middle school students understand and respond to cyberbullying, highlighting the need for prevention programs that align with their perspectives.

## Contribution

The study provides a qualitative, adolescent-centered perspective on cyberbullying definitions, roles, and coping strategies.

## Key findings

- Students define cyberbullying as a public, often anonymous, hostile online interaction.
- Direct harmful behaviors like insults and image sharing are seen as most severe.
- Students focus on bully-victim interactions and victims' responses, with limited awareness of other roles.

## Abstract

Backgrounds: Cyberbullying represents a major concern for students, yet most studies rely on quantitative and adult-centered perspectives. Understanding adolescents’ views on cyberbullying is crucial for prevention. Method: We conducted sixteen focus groups with 220 Italian middle school students (ages 11–13). Transcripts were inductively analyzed to identify domains, core ideas, and the occurrence of categories (general, typical, variant) using the Consensual Qualitative Research method. Results: Four main domains emerged: definitions, behaviors, roles, and coping strategies. Adolescents defined cyberbullying as a hostile online interaction marked by publicity, often followed by anonymity; few mentioned repetition. Direct acts such as insults, threats, and non-consensual image sharing were viewed as the most harmful behaviors, followed by impersonation and identity theft, while online challenges and other forms were less mentioned. Students mainly perceived cyberbullying as a dyadic interaction between bully and victim, showing limited awareness of pro-bullies, few references to bystanders, and no mention of defenders. Finally, participants focused on victims’ responses with little attention to bystanders’ coping strategies. Conclusions: By revealing a nuanced understanding of cyberbullying, adolescents emphasize the need for prevention programs that not only address online risks but also build on their own language, perspectives, and experiences.