Navigating digital harassment: A cross-country study of factors affecting cyberbullying among nursing students in Saudi Arabia and Egypt

Abstract

Background: Cyberbullying threatens safety and learning in higher education. Nursing students' intensive use of digital tools may increase exposure in Saudi Arabia's near-universal connectivity and Egypt's rapidly expanding access.

Objective: To compare patterns and predictors of cyberbullying involvement-cybervictimization and cyberaggression-among nursing students in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Design: Cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical, multi-site study (STROBE).

Methods: Undergraduate nursing students from five universities completed the Arabic-validated European Cyber Bullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (March-July 2025; N = 1596). Data were screened using Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests and Winsorizing. Analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests/ANOVA, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression (α = 0.05).

Results: Egyptian students reported higher cybervictimization, cyberaggression, and overall involvement than Saudi students (all p < 0.01). Males scored higher than females on cybervictimization (3.72 vs 3.07), cyberaggression (1.18 vs 0.73), and total involvement (4.90 vs 3.80; all p < 0.001). Students aged ≥23 had the highest mean scores in bivariate analyses. Overall involvement correlated strongly with cybervictimization (r = 0.968) and moderately with cyberaggression (r = 0.692) (all p < 0.001). The regression model was significant (R² = 0.090, F = 13.11, p < 0.001). Lower scores were associated with Saudi origin and female gender; not knowing about cyberbullying was associated with lower reported scores. Disclosure to friends/social media was associated with higher scores.

Conclusion: Cyberbullying is common and varies by national context, gender, age, awareness, and disclosure patterns.

Nursing implications: Integrate digital literacy and cyber-safety training, establish confidential reporting/support pathways, align university procedures with national cybercrime laws, and implement routine screening and referral for distress (e.g., anxiety/depression) and low self-esteem to protect well-being and learning outcomes.

Keywords: Cross-country study; Cyberbullying; Digital harassment; Egypt; Nursing students; Saudi Arabia.