An exploration of cyberbullying and traditional bullying in South African schools: Eclectic contexts

Abstract

Undeniably, bullying is inherently evil and repugnant, and it has become a pervasive issue in South African schools, profoundly impacting students’ social, psychological, and academic well-being. This study investigated eclectic data from scholarly articles drawn from data engines such as Web of Science, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, EBSCOhost, and ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), as well as policy documents and reports released from 2018 to 2025. English was used in both the writing and publication of the paper. 51 scholarly articles, reports, and policy documents were examined and included in the paper. A systematic or narrative review was judged to be the most suitable, as it permits the integration of data from other research traditions, providing a fuller and more nuanced synthesis. Data were analysed thematically to yield the following findings: The Prevalence of Cyberbullying and Traditional Bullying in South African Schools; Psychological and Emotional Consequences of Bullying; Impact of Bullying on Academic Performance; Environmental and Socio-Cultural Contexts of Bullying; The Role of Technology in Shaping New Bullying Dynamics. Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory provides the analytical foundation for this study, informing how students observe, internalise, and replicate bullying behaviours in both traditional and digital school environments. Bullying is further contextualised within broader environmental influences such as family, school, community, and digital contexts, drawing on insights from Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory.

 Conclusively, addressing bullying requires context-sensitive, multifaceted interventions that consider the unique socio-economic, cultural, and technological realities of South African learners. A holistic approach involving educators, parents, policymakers, and learners themselves is essential to creating safer, more inclusive school environments.