Cyberbullying Victimization and Suicidal Ideation: Exploring Help-Seeking Behavior as a Moderating Factor

Abstract

Background: Cyberbullying and suicidal ideation are ongoing social issues in Indonesia. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence between cyberbullying and suicide ideation, as well as the role of help-seeking behavior as a moderator variable. Methods: This study involved 454 Indonesian adolescents. The JAMOVI 2.5.3.0 software analyzed data through descriptive statistics, regression, and mediator analyses. Results: 38.5% of teenagers encountered cyberbullying for more than 6 months to the present, 38.5% in the past month to the present, and had suicidal ideation in the last 12 months. Cyberbullying victims are more likely to have suicidal ideation. Additionally, 384 (84.6%) of the female respondents reported having experienced cyberbullying, compared to only 70 (15.4%) of the male respondents. Help-seeking behavior as a moderator in the relationship between cyberbullying victimization with suicidal ideation. A sig value is 0.369 (p<0.01).

The hypothesis was rejected, indicating that help-seeking behavior, as a moderator, had no meaningful influence on the connection between cyberbullying victimization and suicidal ideation. It means that, when a person experiences cyberbullying victimization, whether they have low or high help-seeking behavior, their suicidal ideation remains high. Conclusion: These findings imply the study highlights the challenges adolescents face in seeking help for mental health issues, often due to cultural stigma and a lack of accessible resources of adolescents who are cyberbullied and engage in suicidal behavior.