Peer Relations, Type A Behaviour Pattern and Cyberbullying Among Nigerian Undergraduates: A Correlational Study

Abstract

Cyberbullying has become an important concern among university students because of the increasing use of digital platforms for social interaction. This study examined the relationship between peer relations, Type A behaviour pattern and cyberbullying among Nigerian undergraduates. The study adopted a cross-sectional correlational design. Participants were 423 undergraduate students drawn from three universities in southeastern Nigeria: Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK). Participants were selected using convenience and purposive sampling techniques. A total of 430 copies of the questionnaire were distributed, 427 were retrieved, and four questionnaires were excluded because of multiple responses or improper completion, leaving 423 valid responses for analysis. Data were collected using the Cyberbullying Questionnaire, Peer Relationship Scale and Type A Behaviour Scale. Pearson product-moment correlation was used to analyse the data at the .05 level of significance. The findings showed that cyberbullying was significantly and negatively related to popularity (r = −.260, p < .05) and trust (r = −.280, p < .05), while its relationships with intimacy and insightfulness were not significant. Type A behaviour was not significantly related to cyberbullying (r = .172). Gender was significantly related to cyberbullying (r = −.405, p < .01), whereas age was not significantly related to the study variables. The findings suggest that supportive and trusting peer relationships may be relevant to understanding cyberbullying among undergraduates, while Type A behaviour did not show a significant association in this sample.