ADOLESCENT CYBERBULLYING AND DIGITAL HARM: ALIGNING GLOBAL EVIDENCE WITH MALAYSIA’S POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS (2013–2025)

Abstract

This semi-systematic review (2013–2025), guided by PRISMA 2020 and a systems-thinking lens, consolidates global and Malaysian scholarship on adolescent cyberbullying within the broader domain of digital harm governance. The review examines how evidence on mental health, gendered vulnerability, and cultural context aligns with Malaysia’s policy and regulatory instruments, including the Education Blueprint 2013–2025, the Mental Health Action Plan 2020–2025, and the Online Safety Act 2025. Internationally, research demonstrates conceptual maturity through longitudinal and intersectional designs that connect cyberbullying with depression, anxiety, and identity based harm. Malaysian studies are expanding but remain largely descriptive and under theorized, which limits translation into preventive and rights based interventions. Policy analysis indicates partial alignment: national strategies acknowledge digital harm but underutilize empirical insights on adolescent resilience, platform accountability, and gender responsive counselling. This paper contributes by (1) diagnosing methodological and theoretical gaps that weaken evidence informed policy; (2) positioning cyberbullying as a combined digital rights and public health concern requiring coordinated governance; and (3) proposing pathways to integrate global best practices into Malaysia’s policy and regulatory systems. Drawing on General Strain Theory and Triadic Reciprocal Determinism, the review advances a governance oriented synthesis that links emotional antecedents, behavioural roles, and gendered coping to concrete policy levers. The analysis situates Malaysia’s digital safety efforts within international legal and policy discourse on adolescent protection and online well-being, offering a roadmap for preventive regulation and research–policy convergence.