In an era in which everything is extensively digitised, VET can also benefit from new possibilities by integrating digital learning. This evolution brings with it both the resources and the risks of a new space and a new mode of learning. The most emblematic risk of this transition is cyberbullying, a form of coercion and oppression perpetrated through the use of social media and internet. Analogous to the traditional bullying described by Olweus in 1996, it is characterised by intentionality, persistence over time, power asymmetry and a profoundly social nature, while at the same time possessing distinctive features of its own that significantly amplify its effects on both mental health and learning.

 

The roots of the phenomenon: between neuroscience and social dynamics

Social neuroscience has highlighted the role of the processes involved in understanding others' emotions, regulating impulses and developing prosocial behaviours. However, cyberbullying cannot be explained as the result of a simple individual deficit: studies on brain plasticity show that relational and emotional capacities can develop and change through experiences, educational contexts and significant relationships. At the root of cyberbullying, and of the consequent difficulty that victims and witnesses have in reporting episodes, lie two specific social phenomena:

Social conformity: This is the psychological process by which individuals modify their opinions or behaviours to align with the group, driven by the desire for approval and the fear of exclusion. As the classic studies by Asch demonstrated, people follow the group even in the face of evident errors, both through normative influence (accepting norms in order to belong) and informational influence (conforming in the belief that the group is better informed). In VET settings, where group identity and peer acceptance are powerful motivators, conformity helps explain why a hurtful comment in a class group chat can quickly gather likes and echoers: remaining silent, or even joining in, becomes a way of safeguarding one's place within the peer group.

Moral disengagement: Theorised by Albert Bandura, this is the mechanism through which people justify immoral or harmful behaviour, attenuating guilt and ethical discomfort. Bandura identifies cognitive pathways through which individuals restructure their actions to make them appear acceptable or necessary. Moral justification, advantageous comparison and euphemistic language give a positive veneer to the act; displacement and diffusion of responsibility distance guilt from the individual; and distortion of consequences, dehumanisation and blame attribution directly affect the perception of the victim. In digital VET environments, these mechanisms are intensified: the screen mediates the other's face, responsibility is diluted across anonymous or semi-anonymous accounts, and the diffusion of responsibility spreads across a group chat where "everyone was doing it."

Conformity and moral disengagement converge most visibly in the figure of the bystander, the witness who sees the episode but does not intervene. In digital spaces the bystander role is amplified: many students may witness a public post or a group-chat aggression, yet each perceives their own contribution as negligible and assumes someone else will act, feeding a collective silence that the aggressor reads as approval. Far from being neutral, bystanders shape the climate: their passive presence reinforces the aggression, while their active intervention, whether reporting, supporting the victim or simply refusing to amplify the content, is one of the most powerful protective factors identified in the literature. This is precisely why any VET strategy must address witnesses explicitly, transforming them from a silent audience into a responsible and trained presence.

The four dimensions of digital danger

Cyberbullying differs from traditional aggression through four specific features that amplify its gravity. The viral impact makes online diffusion uncontrollable and potentially indefinite over time, perpetuating the harm (Ritratti, 2021). To this is added the possible anonymity, which allows perpetrators to hide behind pseudonyms, complicating identification and intervention. Furthermore, the phenomenon is characterised by the absence of spatial boundaries, since it invades even the victim's home, depriving them of their safe refuge, and by the absence of temporal limits, exposing the person to constant psychological pressure at every moment of the day.

The VET context and the impact on the learning pathway

In VET contexts, cyberbullying manifests through private messages, group chats, manipulated images, public posts or exclusion from online communities, accompanying students transversally across different platforms. In these environments, where participation, peer trust and self-confidence are closely linked to persistence in training pathways, the impact can be particularly severe.

Cyberbullying is not a marginal theme of digital education but redefines inclusion itself: if students do not feel safe enough to participate in online learning and collaboration, digital inclusion remains incomplete, regardless of the technological advancement of the platforms adopted.

The consequences on mental health are profound. Anxiety, depression and, in extreme cases, suicide have been documented (Kowalski et al., 2014), with emotional and behavioural effects that can persist longer than in traditional bullying (Wright, 2018). The study by Kowalski, Limber and McCord (2018) further highlights difficulties in emotional regulation, reduced self-esteem and substance use, noting that many victims may present pre-existing vulnerabilities, such as social anxiety and exclusion, that increase the risk of being cyberbullied (Gaetano, 2018).

These dynamics cause reduced concentration, lower engagement and poorer educational outcomes, pushing students to avoid online spaces and group work. In VET, an environment grounded in practical participation, teamwork and preparation for work, the loss of confidence compromises attendance, the progression of studies and the future capacity to navigate professional contexts where digital communication is now daily. What begins as a simple message in a private chat can rapidly transform into a broader episode of humiliation, exclusion or intimidation. For VET providers, therefore, the message is clear: prevention and response must be designed around the real dynamics of digital life, not around outdated conceptions of where bullying begins and ends.

A response that involves the whole context

The most effective response to cyberbullying requires a profound transformation of organisational culture within VET institutions. This change can only happen when the entire training community engages, developing the awareness that everyone is responsible for collective well-being, even when not directly involved in episodes. The first fundamental step is knowledge: it is necessary to understand in depth how cyberbullying manifests and to build a clear, shared vision that respectful online behaviour is an integral part of the learning environment, not a separate element.

Policies matter, but they prove genuinely useful only when they are shared and disseminated widely. They must therefore be drafted in accessible and practical language for both students and staff, extending their application to all spaces where communication takes place: from official learning platforms to messaging apps and social media.

This strategic framework must necessarily be supported by clearly visible reporting procedures and consistent safeguarding systems. It therefore becomes essential to establish precise rules and identify a dedicated reference figure or committee. Students must know exactly whom to turn to, what kind of response to expect and how their reports will be handled. In parallel, staff must receive specific training to be ready to promptly recognise warning signs, correctly preserve digital evidence and assess when an episode requires formal escalation.

Training thus proves an indispensable pillar, since cyberbullying is rarely a purely technical problem, resolvable simply through a ban or the deletion of a comment. On the contrary, it calls into question judgement, empathy, power dynamics and the quality of communication. For this reason, digital citizenship should constantly accompany the development of technical skills in VET practice. This approach helps students make crucial themes their own, such as privacy, consent, respectful interactions, ethical behaviour on platforms and the fundamental importance of offering support to peers who experience online aggression.

 

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