CYBERBULLYING VICTIMIZATION, COPING STRATEGIES AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AMONG VIETNAMESE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

Background: Cyberbullying is a new public health issue emerging recently and rapidly due to the development of the electronic media. Objectives: This study aimed to study the association between coping strategies and severity of mental health status among Vietnamese university students. The study also examined the prevalence of cyberbullying, types of cyberbully, types of coping strategies, and different mental health problems regarding the levels of cyberbullying experience. Gender differences were also examined. Methods: A cross sectional study among 287 university students in Ho Chi Minh City were recruited to participate in this study from June to July 2017. Questionnaire was used to collect data regarding cyberbully experience, coping strategies, and participants’ mental health. Results: 29 out of 280 participants (10.36%) were found as cyber victims during their college lives which had 13 males (44.8%) and 16 females (55.2%). The results showed that most of victims faced cyberbully through text messaging and Facebook. Online harassment and denigration were 2 types of cyberbully which victims faced the most. Among 4 types of coping strategies used, changing setting (79.3%) for technological solutions, talking to friends (44.83%) for seeking support, thinking it was not real and ignore it (37.93%) or trying to talk to cyberbullies face-to-face (27.59%) for targeting towards cyberbullies strategy had highest frequency used. Victims of severe cyberbullied used more coping strategies than occasional and moderate severe cyber victims. Severe cyberbullied victims also had more mental health issues. Sadness (82.79%) and hurt (41.38%) were felt the most in among victims. Severity of mental health status showed statistically significant association with the number of coping strategies. (OR= 0.46, p=0.05) Conclusion: The results helped for the intervention and prevention of cyberbullying in the future.