The main objective of the present research was to examine the role played by emotional intelligence … and by empathy … in cyber violence, both in aggressors and victims, in a sample of adolescents.[1] … Participation in violent online behaviors is associated with a lower capacity to regulate emotions; cyberaggressors showed statistically significant differences in empathy dimensions such as perspective-taking, empathetic joy, and empathic stress.[1] The nature of cyberspace facilitates aggressors’ low affective and cognitive empathy, as they have difficulty recognizing the effect of their behavior on the victim, making it hard for them to suffer remorse or social rejection for their behavior.[1]

This review article on adolescent cyberbullying and empathy notes that trait empathy is important in cyberbullying behavior and describes an instrument that directly assessed lack of empathy in relation to cyberbullying incidents, including items such as whether websites making fun of other people are fun or amusing, finding that lower empathy scores predicted cyberbullying behavior regardless of media type or location.[4] The authors explain that cyber-aggression is related to personal characteristics such as empathy and to self-regulatory processes involving moral reasoning and justification of deviant behaviors, with moral disengagement (minimizing or ignoring harm) facilitating such aggression.[4] They recommend that leaders and educators use perspective-taking and compassion exercises to help adolescents understand victims’ emotions and grievances, thereby inhibiting cyberbullying and typical moral disengagement processes like blaming or trivializing harm.[4]

Reviewing multiple studies, the authors report that cyberbullying perpetration among youth has been associated with "lower levels of empathy" and a tendency of perpetrators "to rationalize their destructive behaviors by minimizing the impact they had on others."[4] They note that adolescents may be "less inclined to experience empathy for targets online in part because they are not privy to the targets’ facial expressions," which can reduce awareness of harm in digital contexts.[4] A cited Turkish study found that adolescents who were "less empathic were more at risk for engaging in cyberbullying," and activating empathy was related to less negative bystander behavior online.[4]

In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 25 studies, the authors conclude that engaging in cyberbullying correlates with low levels of empathy, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.5, and the relationship remains when controlling for other variables (OR = 1.3).[5] They state that "perpetrators may lack empathy and show no remorse for their victims" and note that current literature suggests a consistent pattern of lower affective empathy levels correlating with cyberbullying.[5] They argue that empathy should be viewed as a potential precursor to either cyberbullying or victimization and highlight that cyberbullies score lower on both affective and cognitive empathy than non-bullies.[5]

This paper on Croatian youth states that "Empathy is stated as a relevant protective factor for cyberbullying in the meta-analysis conducted by **Kowalski, Giumetti,** ..." indicating prior work by Kowalski and coauthors synthesizing evidence on empathy and cyberbullying.[5] The study finds that "Adolescents low in cognitive or affective empathy were committing more cyber-violence," and male adolescents low in both types of empathy are at highest risk to become perpetrators of cyber-violence.[5] It concludes that adolescents lower in affective empathy commit more cyber-violence than those high in affective empathy, supporting the idea that low empathy is linked to harmful online actions, though it does not claim that adolescents in general often lack empathy.[5]

The current study explores whether empathy is related to cyberbullying offending generally and bias-based cyberbullying specifically.[5] Higher scores in total empathy, affective empathy, and cognitive empathy were all significantly and inversely related to general cyberbullying, race-based cyberbullying, and religion-based cyberbullying among early adolescents.[5] The authors note prior work on "Predictors of cyberbullying amongst adolescents: The role of empathy, moral disengagement and self-esteem," emphasizing that lower empathy has been consistently linked to greater cyberbullying offending.[5]

This study aimed to analyze the relationships among cyberbullying, online empathy, and moral disengagement through technology.[5] The investigation intends to explore how adolescents report empathy in online contexts and moral disengagement in cyberbullying incidents and how these variables predict cyberbullying victimization and perpetration longitudinally.[8] Results indicated that lower online empathy and higher moral disengagement were associated with greater involvement in cyberbullying as both victims and perpetrators.[5]

This article reports that studies have shown negative relations between school students’ empathy and self-reported offline and cyber-bullying (citing Del Rey et al., 2016; Donat et al., 2020).[7] In their structural equation model, both dimensions of empathy negatively related to cyber-bullying perpetration, meaning that higher empathy was associated with less cyberbullying, while empathy was not associated with victimization.[7] The authors emphasize that strategies to prevent or reduce cyberbullying should simultaneously foster students’ personal belief in a just world and empathy as well as an academic environment characterized by just behavior of lecturers and students.[7]

This open-access study on adolescent cyberaggressors notes that "Participation in violent online behaviors is associated with a lower capacity to regulate emotions," and that cybervictims showed statistically significant differences in emotional intelligence compared with non-involved peers.[8] The authors find that adolescents who engage in cyberaggression tend to exhibit lower empathy and emotional intelligence, linking reduced socio-emotional capacities with harmful online actions.[8] The article discusses empathy and emotional intelligence as protective factors but does not present a broad claim that adolescents as a group often lack empathy; rather, it identifies specific subgroups (cyberaggressors) with lower empathy-related skills.[8]

Results, published in the Journal of Early Adolescence, showed that those higher in empathy were significantly less likely to cyberbully others in general.[2] When the two sub-facets of empathy were considered separately, only cognitive empathy was significantly and inversely related to cyberbullying.[2] Cognitive empathy has been found to be associated with sensitivity to injustice, which inhibits harm toward others and compels positive, intervening action when witnessing victimization online (or offline).[2] The authors suggest that cultivating and enhancing cognitive empathy in young persons should reduce participation in bias-based cyberbullying.[2]

Kowalski, R. M., Giumetti, G. W., Schroeder, A. N., & Lattanner, M. R. (2021). Bullying in the digital age: A critical review and meta-analysis of cyberbullying research among youth.[2] This review synthesizes findings on cyberbullying among youth, including correlates such as empathy, moral disengagement, and awareness of harm inflicted through online behaviors.[2] The authors report that youth who engage in cyberbullying often show lower levels of empathy and diminished concern for the consequences of their online actions on victims.[2]

We show there is now overwhelming evidence of severe and widespread direct harms (such as sextortion and cyberbullying), and compelling evidence of troubling indirect harms (such as depression and anxiety).[3] One expert quoted notes that "compulsive usage correlates with a slew of negative mental health effects like loss of analytical skills, memory formation, contextual thinking, conversational depth, empathy, and increased anxiety," and that it "interferes with essential personal responsibilities like sufficient sleep, work/school responsibilities, and connecting with loved ones."[3] The chapter emphasizes that social media use can erode empathy and increase harms at a population level, particularly among adolescents.[3]

Research shows that young people feel less responsible for cyberbullying than for face-to-face bullying.[4] Students with low empathy are more likely to engage in harmful online behavior, often underestimating or ignoring the emotional harm caused to others.[4] By integrating empathy-based activities through Social-Emotional Learning, schools can equip students with emotional tools to recognize the impact of their words and actions online.[4]

Reporting on a study in the *Journal of Early Adolescence*, this article states that "those higher in empathy were significantly less likely to cyberbully others in general, and cyberbully others based on their race or religion."[3] It notes: "The higher a youth scored on empathy, the lower the likelihood that the youth cyberbullied others," and that cognitive empathy was inversely related to cyberbullying, while affective empathy was not.[3] The piece explains that cognitive empathy is associated with "sensitivity to injustice, which inhibits harm toward others and compels positive, intervening action when witnessing victimization online," emphasizing empathy as a factor that increases awareness of harm and discourages harmful online actions rather than portraying adolescents as broadly lacking empathy.[3]

This study on empathic skills training among adolescents found that a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) counseling program based on empathic training increased adolescents’ empathy levels and decreased their levels of cyberbullying.[1] The authors describe prior evidence of a long-term association between lack of empathy, social–emotional problems, and cyberbullying, and refer to work showing that online disinhibition related to lack of empathy can lead to adolescent cyberbullying.[1] They recommend that teachers and school counselors use empathy training as part of cyberbullying prevention programs, highlighting empathy as a social anchor that prevents antipathic behavior and reduces harmful online actions.[1]

Youth face a multitude of safety issues and associated harms online, ranging from cyberbullying and online harassment to exposure to self-harm content and child sexual exploitation.[3] The report notes that cyberbullying has been identified as one of the most prevalent preceding risk factors for youth suicide-related behaviors and that bullying, including online bullying, can have negative health effects such as depression and anxiety that last into adulthood.[3] It emphasizes that many youth may not fully appreciate the potential harms of their online activities, especially when they do not directly see the consequences for others.[3]

This article describes research in which "empathy is associated with bystander helping behavior in cyberbullying" among adolescents.[2] It reports that "Internet moral judgment mediated the relationship between empathy and helping behavior," and that fostering empathy and moral judgment can help adolescents "discern right from wrong, recognize the harm caused by cyberbullying, and become more inclined to help victims."[2] The authors recommend educational strategies to "enable students to comprehend the detrimental effects of cyberbullying on victims," implying that some adolescents may initially lack full awareness of harm but that empathy can be cultivated to counteract harmful online actions.[2]

Psychoeducation educates adolescents about the harmful effects of online harassment, promoting empathy and fostering conflict resolution strategies.[9] The paper on cyberbullying among adolescents describes how some youth engage in online harassment without fully appreciating the psychological harm inflicted, and argues that interventions should increase awareness of these harms.[9] It highlights that enhancing empathy and understanding of consequences can reduce cyberbullying behaviors.[9]

The Georgia State University study found no evidence that social media use is broadly harmful to adolescent empathy, challenging a common assumption in public debate.[7] Researchers reported that adolescents who used social media more frequently did not show lower levels of empathy compared with those who used it less.[7] The lead author stated that the findings suggest "we should be cautious about claims that social media is making teens less empathetic" and that the relationship between online activity and empathy is more complex.[7]

Summarizing a 2026 meta-analysis, this article reports that researchers "found no evidence that social media use is broadly harmful to adolescent empathy" and that teenagers who use social media more frequently "may show slightly higher empathy."[1] A qualitative review alongside the meta-analysis found that adolescents who used social platforms to connect with others showed higher empathy levels, challenging the idea that online engagement inherently erodes empathy.[1] The authors note that problematic social media use is linked to negative outcomes, but the overall evidence does not support a general claim that adolescents often lack empathy due to online activity.[1]

This investigation intends to explore how adolescents report empathy in online contexts and moral disengagement in cyberbullying incidents.[8] It analyzes how empathy online and moral disengagement through technology serve as longitudinal predictors of cyberbullying victimization and perpetration.[8] Findings indicate that lower levels of online empathy are associated with higher levels of cyberbullying behaviors, suggesting some adolescents may not fully recognize or care about the harm their online actions cause.[8]

This study on cyberbullying among teenagers examined empathy, friendship quality, and coping styles, finding no significant correlation between empathy levels and cyberbullying or cybervictimization overall.[3] It reports that students with higher empathy levels experienced higher quality friendships and that victims of cyberbullying were more likely to engage in maladaptive coping strategies such as retaliation and self-blame.[3] Despite high empathy scores overall, the expected lower empathy in cyberbullies was not supported by the data, indicating that adolescents’ empathy and awareness of harm in online contexts may involve complex dynamics.[3]

Kowalski, R. M. has authored numerous publications on bullying and cyberbullying among adolescents, including work highlighting that some youth who engage in cyberbullying display lower empathy and reduced awareness of the harm they cause online. Her research emphasizes features of online environments—such as anonymity, physical distance, and lack of immediate feedback—that can decrease perpetrators’ perception of victims’ suffering and facilitate morally disengaged behavior. These themes are recurrent across her reviews and empirical studies on cyberbullying in the digital age.

This study on bullying and cyberbullying and emotional intelligence found that adolescents who report greater victimization in bullying tend to demonstrate more total and affective empathy, while in cyberbullying the patterns are more nuanced.[9] The authors discuss how different forms of bullying relate to emotional intelligence and empathy, indicating that involvement in cyberbullying can be associated with variations in empathic responding and awareness of others’ emotions.[9] Their results suggest that empathy may protect against some forms of aggression yet also be shaped by victimization experiences, complicating simple claims that adolescents often lack empathy online.[9]