Emotional quotient and cyberbullying: A correlational study among adolescent X users

Putri Maulidia Ilmi (Program Studi Psikologi Islam, Fakultas Ushuluddin dan Dakwah, Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Mas Said Surakarta)
Vera Imanti (Program Studi Psikologi Islam, Fakultas Ushuluddin dan Dakwah, Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Mas Said Surakarta)

Psycho Holistic
Vol. 7 No. 2 (2025)

The widespread use of X (formally Twitter) among adolescents facilitates social connection while also increasing exposure to cyberbullying, which can have a negative impact on mental health. This study examined the association between emotional quotient (EQ) and cyberbullying behavior among adolescent X users in Surakarta, Indonesia. Using a quantitative correlational design, 109 adolescents aged 15–18 years were recruited via purposive sampling. Measures included a cyberbullying scale (α = .933) developed from Willard’s (2007) framework and an EQ scale (α = .921) based on Goleman (2009). Data were analyzed with Spearman’s rank correlation using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26.0. EQ was significantly and negatively related to cyberbullying behavior (Spearman’s ρ = −.435, p < .05). These results indicate that higher EQ is associated with lower tendencies toward cyberbullying among adolescent social media users. Future research could test causal mechanisms and evaluate whether EQ-focused programs are associated with reductions in cyberbullying.