Abstract
<jats:p>Purpose. The article is devoted to a comprehensive study of the psychological characteristics of cyberbullying as a specific manifestation of destructive interpersonal interaction in the digital environment and to determining its relationship with the state of mental well-being among modern youth. Methods. The empirical study involved 30 respondents of student age (16–22 years), including 18 women and 12 men, with strict adherence to the ethical principles of confidentiality and voluntary participation. A validated methodological complex was used, including the “Mental Health Continuum – Short Form” (MHC-SF-UA) for diagnosing emotional and social well-being; the “Positive Mental Health Scale” (PMH-Scale) for assessing resilience and life satisfaction; and the adapted H. Eysenck method for analyzing levels of anxiety, frustration, aggressiveness, and rigidity. In addition, the author-developed questionnaire “Mental Health and Cyberbullying Experience Among Youth” was applied to record the frequency, specific forms of aggression, emotional reactions, and behavioral strategies of respondents in the virtual environment. Results. The empirical findings demonstrated that 40% of respondents had direct experience of involvement in cyberbullying, where verbal and socio-psychological forms of aggression predominated. It was found that only 7% of young people demonstrated a high level of mental health, whereas 15% showed low indicators, indicating their vulnerability to stress-related factors. The study of emotional states revealed an increased level of anxiety in 26% of respondents and the predominance of passive coping strategies (avoidance), which may contribute to further social isolation. Correlation analysis confirmed a strong negative relationship between the intensity of experienced cyberbullying and the level of psychological well-being (r = –0.70, p < 0.01). It was also proven that even passive observation of online aggression significantly reduces indicators of mental health (r = –0.61, p < 0.01). At the same time, the duration of time spent online demonstrated a moderate positive relationship with well-being (r = 0.44, p < 0.05) when the digital environment performs a resource function. Conclusions. It has been proven that cyberbullying acts as a systemic destructive factor that provokes a decline in psychological well-being and deformation of interpersonal relationships. The decisive factor for an individual’s mental state is not the duration of time spent on the Internet, but the nature of interaction within it. The obtained results emphasize the necessity of developing individual resilience and strengthening social support as key mechanisms of psychological protection for young people in the digital environment.</jats:p>