Digital Citizenship and Teacher Responses to School Bullying and Cyberbullying: A Scoping Review of Prevention, Help-Seeking, and Safeguards
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64747/sxwdve87Keywords:
bullying, cyberbullying, digital citizenship, school climate, teacher response, help-seekingAbstract
Introduction: School bullying and cyberbullying are intertwined with face-to-face relationships, peer norms, and trust in adults. Digital citizenship education may improve knowledge and behavioral criteria, but an isolated lesson cannot replace policy, teacher preparation, help routes, or protection from retaliation. Objective: To map evidence published through May 15, 2026, on the components, outcomes, mechanisms, and safeguards of school strategies integrating digital citizenship and teacher responses to bullying and cyberbullying. Methods: A JBI-oriented scoping review was reported using PRISMA-ScR. Ten historical Crossref searches retrieved 600 records; 477 were unique and 272 passed a broad thematic filter. Forty-eight reports were assessed and 20 sources were included after additional OpenAlex, PubMed, DOI, and institutional-source tracking. Context, design, components, actors, outcomes, mechanisms, safeguards, and limitations were extracted. Results: Meta-analyses indicate small average reductions in victimization and perpetration with substantial heterogeneity. Digital citizenship is embedded in packages combining empathy, communication, social skills, parental support, and school policy; its specific contribution therefore cannot be isolated. Trust in teachers, supportive climate, and self-efficacy are associated with help-seeking and positive bystander behavior. School staff report needs for training, protocols, leadership, and coordination. Restorative practices may support relationships and climate, but causal evidence remains limited and forced mediation is inappropriate when a power imbalance exists. Conclusions: A responsible strategy connects curriculum, teacher response, student participation, policy, reporting, support, and referral. Victimization, perpetration, bystander behavior, climate, and help-seeking must be measured separately, and an initial rise in disclosure may indicate trust rather than deterioration. Current evidence can guide a future Ecuadorian pilot but cannot establish local effectiveness or nonexistent pre-post results.
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