Understanding adolescent cyberbullying: The mediating role of problematic internet use in the associations between self-control, parental monitoring and cyberbullying

Andik Matulessy (Department of Master's Program in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya, Surabaya)
Nurussakinah Daulay (Department of Counseling, Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teaching, Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara Medan, Deli Serdang)
Prakash Padakannaya (Department of Psychology, Faculty of School of Social Sciences, Christ University, Karnataka)
Mamang Efendy (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya, Surabaya)
Muhammad Irfan Nazieh (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang)

Psikohumaniora: Jurnal Penelitian Psikologi
Vol. 11 No. 1 (2026)

Social media provides adolescents with opportunities for self-expression, but it also increases the risk of cyberbullying. This study examines the direct relationship between self-control and parental monitoring and cyberbullying, and investigates whether problematic internet use mediates the relationships. The study involved 2.517 secondary school students (M-age = 16.40; SD = 1.08) who were recruited through convenience sampling. Data were collected online using four scales: a Cyberbullying Scale, the Problematic Internet Use Scale, a Parental Monitoring Scale, and a Self-control Scale. Data were analyzed using path analysis with Jamovi software. The results show that problematic internet use mediated the effects of self-control (β = −.035, p < .001) and parental monitoring (β = −.029, p < .001) on cyberbullying. The findings highlight the need for integrated prevention strategies to strengthen adolescents’ self-regulation, supportive parental monitoring, and healthy internet use through collaboration between schools, families, and communities.