The Role of Online Disinhibition and Anonymity in Predicting Cyberbullying Among University Students

Abstract

Cyberbullying has emerged as a significant psychosocial and educational concern among university students in South Asia, yet the psychological mechanisms underlying this behavior remain under-investigated in this cultural context. The present study examined the role of online disinhibition and perceived anonymity in predicting cyberbullying perpetration among university students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was employed with a convenience sample of 300 university students (55% male, 45% female; M age range: 22–25 years) drawn from public and private universities in KPK. Participants completed the Online Disinhibition Scale (ODS; Udris, 2014), the Perceived Anonymity Scale (Barlett et al., 2016), and the Cyberbullying Inventory for University Students (Tanrikulu & Erdur-Baker, 2021). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson product-moment correlations, and multiple regression analysis. Results revealed significant positive associations between online disinhibition and cyberbullying (r = .58, p < .01), between perceived anonymity and cyberbullying (r = .49, p < .01), and between online disinhibition and perceived anonymity (r = .46, p < .01). Multiple regression analysis indicated that online disinhibition (β = .43, p < .001) and perceived anonymity (β = .29, p < .001) were both significant independent predictors of cyberbullying. The overall model was statistically significant, F(2, 297) = 102.85, p < .001, with the two predictors jointly accounting for 41% of the variance in cyberbullying behavior (R² = .41). Findings are interpreted within the framework of Suler's (2004) Online Disinhibition Effect Theory and Barlett and Gentile's (2012) general theory of online aggression, and implications for digital ethics education, university policy, and counseling services are discussed.