Journal of Research in Educational Systems

Abstract Objective: Cyberbullying has been a major concern among adolescents in recent years and has attracted a wave of research. However, the various dimensions of this problem are not well understood. Accordingly, the aim of the study was to identify the factors affecting the formation of cyberbullying in students.

Method: The The present study is a qualitative study of the type of content analysis in terms of its applied purpose and data collection method. The statistical population of the study was all male students in the second year of high school in Ardabil in the academic year 2024-2025, of which 11 people were selected as a statistical sample through purposive sampling after screening and considering the saturation point. The data collection tool included a semi-structured interview and the cyber-bullying/victimization experiences questionnaire (CBVEQ; Antoniadou et al., 2016). In the present study, data analysis was performed using a two-stage open and categorical coding method and SPSS software was used to determine the kappa coefficient.

Results: Based on the findings, 40 concept codes were identified from the initial coding, and after applying secondary and categorical coding, 13 sub-concepts and 5 main categories were obtained, including: sadism, lack of empathy, difficulty in emotional self-regulation, impulsive behaviors and online disinhibition.

Conclusions: According to the results obtained, various factors are effective in the formation of cyberbullying, and paying attention to them can play a key role in controlling and preventing cyberbullying behaviors in students.