Gender differential analysis of cyberbullying and emotional intelligence in university students

David Aparisi; Beatriz Delgado; Mercedes Bisquert; Rosa María Bo

doi:10.1186/s40359-026-04662-8

Gender differential analysis of cyberbullying and emotional intelligence in university students

BMC Psychol. 2026 May 12. doi: 10.1186/s40359-026-04662-8. Online ahead of print.

Authors

David Aparisi¹, Beatriz Delgado², Mercedes Bisquert³, Rosa María Bo³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Developmental Psychology and Didactics, Faculty of Education, University of Alicante, Alicante, 03080, Spain. david.aparisi@ua.es.
² Department of Developmental Psychology and Didactics, Faculty of Education, University of Alicante, Alicante, 03080, Spain.
³ Department of Research Methods and Diagnosis in Education, Faculty of Philosophy and Educational Sciences, University of Valencia, Valencia, 46010, Spain.

PMID: 42121225
DOI: 10.1186/s40359-026-04662-8

Abstract

The analysis of the relationship between cyberbullying and cybervictimization and the study of psychological factors is necessary to prevent its occurrence and effects, as evidenced by the increase in cases of cyberbullying and cybervictimization among university students and the lack of studies on the topic. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between cyberbullying taking into account the different roles (cyberbullies, cybervictims and victimized cyberbullies) and the dimensions of emotional intelligence (attention, clarity and repair) according to gender in university students. A total of 1368 Spanish university students aged 18-49 (M = 21.34; SD = 4.45) completed a battery of questionnaires with the aim of assessing cyberbullying, cybervictimization and emotional intelligence. Men scored significantly higher on cyberbullying and cybervictimization. Women scored significantly higher on the attention dimension of emotional intelligence, but men scored significantly higher on the clarity and repair dimensions. In men, there is a higher probability of being a cyberbully, cybervictim and victimized cyberbully as the score on emotional attention increases and decreases as the score on the emotional repair dimension increases. For women, the results indicate a greater likelihood of being a cybervictim as the score on the emotional intelligence attention dimension increases. These results suggest the importance of promoting the proper understanding and emotional management of students in the university context to prevent cybervictimization and cyberbullying, taking into account the gender perspective. The findings underscore the importance of understanding the specific dimensions of emotional intelligence in men and women related to cyberbullying in university, as recognizing these differences can guide the design of specific prevention strategies aimed at reducing the risk of repeating cycles of violence in the online context.

Keywords: Cyberbullying; Cybervictimization; Emotional intelligence; Gender; University.