Cyberbullying has become an increasing concern within higher education, particularly since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, when university students began extensively utilising digital communication platforms for both academic and social interaction. This study examines students’ experiences of cyberbullying at a university in the Eastern Cape through the lens of
The study contributes to emerging decolonial scholarship on cyberbullying within South African higher institutions. It demonstrates how an Ubuntu-informed framework offers a culturally relevant lens for understanding online harm, students’ coping strategies and institutional responses to cyberbullying in higher education.
The rapid expansion of digital communication technologies, including computer networks and social media platforms, has changed how university students interact, learn and socialise. The digital environment, commonly referred to as cyberspace (Gibson
Vismara et al. (
Within the current literature on cyberbullying, emphasis has largely been on evidence that demonstrates the existence of cyberbullying in nations other than South Africa (Paruk & Nassen
Having established the experiences and consequences of cyberbullying in higher education and the gap in Ubuntu-informed research, the following section provides a review of existing literature on cyberbullying among university students.
Cyberbullying has become a significant concern within HEIs. Studies have reported a growing prevalence of cyberbullying among university students both locally and internationally (Pillay & Sacks
Higher education institutions are globally beginning to explore intervention strategies to mitigate the increasing prevalence of cyberbullying. For example, Canadian universities have implemented peer-led awareness programmes and online support systems to help students manage cyberbullying incidents (Patel & Quan-Haase
Several studies have highlighted the way cyberbullying affects the holistic well-being of university students (Khanyile & Ngema
Narrative reviews focused on university populations highlight that consequences of cyberbullying extend beyond emotions to include sleep disruption, reduced concentration, disengagement from campus life, and, in some cases, intentions to drop out (Bussu et al.
Coping strategies are emotional, cognitive and behavioural efforts individuals utilise to manage stressors and challenging experiences (Lazarus & Folkman
Conversely, maladaptive coping strategies are responses that may provide temporary relief but eventually contribute to negative psychological consequences (Lazarus & Folkman
Cyberbullying is considered a criminal offence that is punishable by law in South Africa. The
Much of the existing literature on cyberbullying is grounded in Western theoretical frameworks that emphasise individual psychological outcomes. Limited attention is given to relational and communal values, such as
Instead of viewing the individual mainly as autonomous and independent,
The
A qualitative research method complemented by an exploratory research design guided this study. May and Perry (
Because of the sensitive nature of the study, purposive and snowball sampling were employed to select participants. This sampling method ensured that only participants who had experienced cyberbullying and could provide rich information and valuable insights were selected for the study. Participants who volunteered for the study invited others they knew, thereby creating a snowball effect in establishing the sample.
A total of 15 (
Data were collected through semi-structured focus group discussions. The focus group discussions were intended to be exploratory and flexible, allowing for varied and in-depth responses to emerge. Three focus groups, each with 5 participants, took part in the discussions. Owing to the diversity of the groups, discussions were conducted in English to accommodate all participants; however, participants were encouraged to express themselves in their home language should they so wish. Data collection continued until data saturation was reached (May & Perry
Data were analysed through the six steps identified by Braun and Clarke (
Familiarisation with the data: The transcripts were read multiple times to understand the data and ensure transcription accuracy.
Generating initial codes: Initial codes were created by assigning brief phrases to capture the meaning of the extracts.
Searching for themes: Relevant codes were grouped to form potential themes, and their interrelationships were evaluated to create a unified narrative (Braun & Clarke
Reviewing themes: The accuracy of themes was verified by analysing whether codes accurately represent their data and by confirming that themes maintain consistency, clear boundaries, and a direct relationship with the research objective (Braun & Clarke
Naming the themes: It was ensured that the theme names accurately reflected the meanings found in the data, and themes were defined according to their relevant meanings.
Generating the report: Finally, a report of the findings was generated.
The four principles for trustworthiness of qualitative research, namely: (1) dependability, (2) credibility, (3) transferability and (4) confirmability (Lincoln & Guba
Ethical clearance to conduct this study was obtained from the Institutional Faculty Research Ethics Committee (IFREC) (No. REC-270710-028-RA Level 01). Written informed consent was obtained from all individual participants involved in the study.
This study aimed to explore the cyberbullying experiences of students at a university in the Eastern Cape through the philosophical lens of
This theme presents participants’ experiences of cyberbullying and its psychological impact on well-being. Participants reported various forms of online harassment, including demeaning comments, threats, and the circulation of private information:
‘My experience started in my second year when a close friend of mine got involved in a scandal at university. She was accused of leaking sensitive information from a student council meeting, which was not true, but social media blew up with rumours and accusations. Because I was close to her, people assumed I had been involved as well. The cyberbullying started on Twitter [
‘It all started on Facebook after falling out with a close friend. We had a disagreement about something personal, and she started posting about me online. She posted screenshots of private conversations we had, twisting the context to make it look like I was talking badly about others. People I didn’t even know started calling me names like “snake” and “backstabber.” It felt like I was being ganged up on by an entire community.’ (P7, Female, Fourth year)
Participants reported some of the hurtful online behaviours that they experienced. These behaviours include threats, insults and invasions of privacy, which other studies (Kowalski, Giumetti & Feinn
Participants further reported that cyberbullying negatively affected their studies and interpersonal relationships:
‘The stress affected my studies; I was constantly worried about what people were saying about me. I didn’t feel safe, and I started avoiding campus events because I didn’t know whom I could trust.’ (P6, Male, Fourth year)
‘It completely shattered my trust in people. I stopped talking to our mutual friends because I didn’t know who was genuinely on my side. I became depressed, stopped going to social events, and my grades dropped. It felt like I had no one to turn to because everyone believed her version of the story.’ (P7, Female, Fourth year)
‘The stress it caused affected my studies, and I started to lose sleep over it.’ (P15, Female, Fourth year)
It is evident from the above extracts that online humiliation and reputational damage may compromise students’ sense of belonging within the university community. Other studies also confirm that students who experience cyberbullying may develop a negative perception of the university environment. The perceived lack of support and feelings of insecurity affect students’ social engagement and academic persistence (Bauman
When asked about the coping strategies they employ to manage cyberbullying, participants described various strategies such as blocking the bully, deactivating social media accounts and seeking support from peers:
‘At first, I tried to ignore it, thinking it would die down … eventually I deactivated my Twitter [
‘There was a time when I blocked someone on WhatsApp, and they just moved over to Facebook to continue bothering me. I blocked them there too, but they created different accounts to harass me. It got to the point where I stopped using Facebook altogether. I used to post a lot on Facebook, but now I barely use it, except for school-related things. I just don’t feel safe anymore, especially when I know that person might be waiting on different accounts.’ (P5, Male, Fourth year)
Participants highlight moving from the online platform where they were bullied, which, on digital platforms, may not be enough because the bully can move to other platforms or create fake accounts to continue harassing the victim. These narratives illustrate how victims sometimes withdraw from digital spaces to protect themselves from continued harassment (Byrne
Participants also emphasised the importance of seeking support from others:
‘Talk to someone you trust, whether it’s a friend, a family member or a counsellor. And don’t be afraid to take legal action if things get serious.’ (P2, Female, Fourth year)
‘We should establish peer support groups where we can discuss our experiences and share coping strategies.’ (P14, Male, Fourth year)
Social support has been widely reported to play an important role in helping students cope with cyberbullying. Lazarus and Folkman (
This theme focused on experiences related to preventative mechanisms. It highlighted participants’ challenges in seeking help after experiencing or witnessing cyberbullying, revealing a significant gap in institutional support. Participants emphasised the importance of respect and empathy in addressing cyberbullying within the university community. They also stated that, instead of primarily punishing the perpetrator, universities should create supportive environments through awareness campaigns to discourage cyberbullying:
‘We should leverage social media campaigns that promote kindness and respect. Using humour or relatable content to spread positive messages can help change the narrative around online interactions.’ (P12, Male, Fourth year)
‘We should encourage open dialogues about cyberbullying in our classes and student forums. Creating awareness is essential. Workshops on digital citizenship and the impacts of online behaviour could help foster empathy.’ (P15, Female, Fourth year)
Participants supported dialogue to educate and sensitise others about problematic online behaviours, while promoting respectful, empathetic online engagement. The extracts above highlight the importance of universities in promoting ethical digital conduct (Patel & Quan-Haase
‘As for the perpetrators, I think there should be both immediate consequences and education. Punishment is necessary, but we can’t just punish them without helping them understand why what they did was wrong. If someone spreads lies about another student online, they should be held accountable. At the same time, they should also be required to attend workshops or training on cyberbullying and its effects. If they are given suspension or some other consequence but don’t understand the emotional and psychological harm they’ve caused, they are more likely to do it again in the future. Education can help prevent that.’ (P9, Female, Third year)
‘I believe there should be consequences, but I also understand that sometimes people act out without fully realising the impact of their actions. For perpetrators, I think there should be an escalating system of consequences. For minor offences, maybe a formal warning or mandatory counselling sessions where they learn about the impact of their actions.’ (P3, Male, Third year)
The extracts from participants above demonstrate that punishment is desirable for the perpetrator depending on the severity and persistence of the offence. However, there is also a need for restorative approaches, such as counselling or compulsory training, to help perpetrators understand the effects of their behaviour and not repeat it. Within an
Although participants recommended counselling and training for perpetrators, they also reported on shortfalls in university resources for dealing with cyberbullying. They narrated their expectation on how the university can support victims of cyberbullying in terms of mental health services and policy enforcement:
‘If there were better systems in place, like counselling services, workshops on emotional resilience, or even a platform to report bullying, it could really make a difference. We need better support systems put in place for students who are going through this, support programmes from the institution that deal with this type of bullying.’ (P13, Female, Fourth year)
‘That’s something the university really needs to fix – access to mental health services. We need more counsellors as well as social workers available to deal with issues like cyberbullying and stalking … it took me so long even to secure a counselling session, I gave up.’ (P7, Female, Fourth year)
‘I know that many institutions have anti-cyberbullying and anti-bullying policies, but I think these policies are brilliant in theory. I think the university is not enforcing that policy; the policy is there, but it’s just the enforcement that’s lacking.’ (P8, Male, Third year)
The above extracts expose the limited counselling support for students experiencing cyberbullying at the institution. Participants expressed a need for more counsellors and social workers, as well as confidential spaces to discuss their experiences. The waiting period before someone obtains a counselling service appointment reflects a lack of human resources, which demotivates students from seeking mental health support. In addition, participants found that existing policies are not enforced, creating a perception that the university does not take cyberbullying seriously. This highlights the need to strengthen and implement policies that protect students against cyberbullying in HEIs.
This study explored university students’ experiences of cyberbullying from an Ubuntu-informed perspective, which emphasises relational personhood, dignity and communal responsibility. Cyberbullying in this study is acknowledged not only as an act of online aggression but also as a violation of relational and communal values that promote social harmony. Harmful online behaviours, such as harassment, humiliation and the spread of false rumours, may disrupt students’ sense of belonging and dignity within the university community. These experiences may result in psychological distress and social isolation among victims (Byrne
Participants described cyberbullying as involving insults, humiliation and the spreading of rumours on digital platforms. These experiences mirror findings in previous studies, which indicate that cyberbullying frequently manifests through public shaming, exclusion and reputational harm in online spaces (Ansary
The findings further demonstrate that cyberbullying affects students’ psychological, emotional, social and academic well-being negatively. Participants reported experiences of emotional distress, loss of trust, social withdrawal and academic disengagement. These findings resemble other studies, which found that cyberbullying is strongly linked to psychological distress, emotional dysregulation and reduced academic functioning among university students (Kowalski, Giumetti & Feinn
Participants in this study employed different coping strategies to manage the effects of cyberbullying. These included emotion-focused strategies such as blocking perpetrators and deactivating social media accounts. Although emotion-focused strategies may offer temporary relief, in the long term, they may exacerbate loneliness and psychological distress (Lazarus & Folkman
It was significant that participants relied mostly on informal support systems rather than formal university professional counselling services and reporting systems. This preference is similar to broader findings in South African and international literature, which indicate that students often distrust institutional support services because of fear of exposure, stigma or perceived inefficiency (Bauman
Participants emphasised the need for visible institutional support and awareness within the university context. The suggestions included the formation of peer support groups, awareness campaigns, workshops on digital citizenship, and clearer reporting mechanisms. These recommendations align with various calls in the literature for universities to adopt inclusive strategies that combine prevention, education and psychological support (Khanyile & Ngema
A significant finding of this study relates to participants’ preference for educational and restorative responses to cyberbullying, rather than mainly punitive measures. Although participants appreciated the importance of holding perpetrators accountable, they emphasised the need for awareness programmes and opportunities for perpetrators to understand the consequences of their actions. This perspective resonates strongly with
The findings indicate that there are shortcomings in understanding the experiences of students with cyberbullying, and more should be done to feature these aspects within African frameworks. The recommendations derived from this study pave the way for practical and research implications.
Despite providing valuable insights into the cyberbullying experiences of students at a university in the Eastern Cape through an
Firstly, a small sample of 15 participants was drawn from a single campus at a university in the Eastern Cape. The findings may therefore not represent the experiences of students on different campuses and other universities in South Africa.
Secondly, the use of focus group discussions predominantly in English may have influenced the nature of participants’ responses. Some participants may have been reluctant to express themselves in English or felt unsafe disclosing sensitive personal experiences in a group setting.
Thirdly, the study focused mainly on the perspectives of students who had experienced cyberbullying. Perspectives of bystanders, perpetrators or university personnel were not explored. Including them may provide a comprehensive view of the dynamics and institutional responses to cyberbullying.
The study’s findings yielded recommendations useful to universities, future researchers and policymakers.
Based on the findings, HEIs should strengthen support structures and resources for students who experience cyberbullying. Practically, South African universities should consider adopting Ubuntu-informed restorative approaches that emphasise accountability and the rebuilding of respectful relationships in response to cyberbullying. Such interventions may help promote a campus culture that encourages respect and ethical engagement in digital spaces.
A larger, more diverse sample of students from multiple universities across South Africa would be useful. In addition, the perspectives of other stakeholders within institutions of higher education may be explored to understand institutional responses to cyberbullying and identify effective prevention strategies.
The findings indicate that although sufficient policies and institutional guidelines are available, they are not consistently enforced. Policymakers should provide guidance on how policies can be effectively implemented for visible results.
This study explored the cyberbullying experiences of students at a university in the Eastern Cape through the philosophical lens of
This article is based on a conference paper originally presented at Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) Conference, held at the University of Fort Hare, on 01 December – 03 December 2025. The conference paper, titled ‘Exploring the impact of cyberbullying on the psychosocial well-being of students at a tertiary institution in the Eastern Cape’, was subsequently expanded and revised for this journal publication. This republication is done with permission from the conference organisers.
This article is based on research originally conducted as part of Mqokeleli Zaza’s master’s thesis titled ‘The experiences of cyberbullying and their impact on the psychosocial well-being of students at the University of Fort Hare, East London campus’, submitted to the University of Fort Hare in 2026. The thesis is currently unpublished and not publicly available. The thesis was supervised by Mahlodi M.R. Makupula. The thesis was reworked, revised and adapted into a journal article for publication. The authors confirm that the content has not been previously published or disseminated and complies with ethical standards for original publication.
During the preparation of this work, the authors used ChatGPT, GPT-5.2 for editing the manuscript. The content was reviewed and edited by the authors, who take full responsibility for its accuracy.
The authors reported that they received funding from the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA), which may be affected by the research reported in the enclosed publication. The authors have disclosed those interests fully and have implemented an approved plan for managing any potential conflicts arising from their involvement. The terms of these funding arrangements have been reviewed and approved by the affiliated university in accordance with its policy on objectivity in research.
Mqokeleli Zaza: Conceptualisation, Data curation, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Writing – original draft. Mahlodi M.R. Makupula: Conceptualisation, Data curation, Formal analysis, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – review & editing. All authors reviewed the article, contributed to the discussion of results, approved the final version for submission and publication, and take responsibility for the integrity of its findings.
The data that support the findings of this study are not openly available and are available from the corresponding author, Mahlodi M.R. Makupula, upon reasonable request.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and are the product of professional research. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any affiliated institution, funder, agency or that of the publisher. The authors are responsible for this article’s results, findings and content.