Cyberbullying Victimization, Mental Distress, and Adolescent Substance Use: The Role of Cyber Features

Research Spotlight: Cyberbullying, Mental Health, and Substance Use in Adolescents Cyberbullying victimization elevates adolescent substance use by intensifying mental distress. Analyzing over 500,000 survey responses, interviews, and experiments, we find that cyber features critically moderate this pathway: publicity (being observed/joined by an audience) aggravates distress, whereas separation (temporal/spatial distance) mitigates it. For policymakers, these findings underscore the need for legislation that mandates platform accountability and supports school-based mental health initiatives. Technology designers should deploy AI-driven systems to detect and deamplify harmful content while implementing built-in tools that enhance user control—such as delayed message delivery and reduced visibility features—to foster separation. Schools and parents must promote digital literacy, teach healthy coping strategies (e.g., sports, social support), and provide accessible counseling. A multistakeholder approach is essential to reduce the mental health burden of cyberbullying and prevent subsequent substance use.